Dr. Wes Ashford, developer of MemTrax, has an MD, a PhD in Neuroscience, and Psychiatry training, all from UCLA. He has studied Alzheimer's disease since 1978, and has made several contributions to the field, including the design and first double-blind study of a cholinesterase inhibitor for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease; drugs in this class, including Aricept ®, Razadyne ®, and Exelon ®, are the most commonly prescribed for Alzheimer's disease. You can learn more about his extensive background here: http://www.memtrax.com/en/about-dr-ashford-memtrax.

MemTrax is a memory test that shows images sequentially, but some of the images are repeated. MemTrax asks you to respond when you recognize a picture that you have seen before. Normally, most people will quickly recognize a picture that they have just seen. Individuals with significant memory difficulties will not recognize pictures that they have just seen, detracting from the overall "score" of the test.

MemTrax has been given to over 5,000 individuals. When presented as a slide show to an audience, nearly all younger individuals with normal memory get over 80% correct. As individuals get older, the proportion of individuals that have difficulty with the test increases exponentially, in keeping with the laws of aging. Also, in computerized testing, healthy, young individuals rarely take more than one second to respond to a repeated picture. Older individuals and those with memory problems are quickly identified by this test. Poor or slowed performance on Memtrax is a critical indicator that further assessment is needed. Try the test.

There are many causes of dementia, some publications identifying over 60 specific causes, including stroke, vascular disease, alcoholism, vitamin deficiencies, and endocrine deficiencies. There are numerous primary neurologic causes of dementia, including Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, fronto-temporal dementia, and hydrocephalus. The most common cause is Alzheimer's disease, which is the sole factor in 1/3 of all cases and a contributing factor in another third.

The only accepted approach to deferring brain disease is taking good care of one's body. This includes exercising, eating well, stimulating the mind throughout your life, protecting the brain from trauma, and following medical and dental recommendations. It is generally accepted that what is good for the heart is also good for the brain.

There are FDA approved treatments for Alzheimer's disease, including cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine. However, the effects of these drugs are modest. There have been interesting studies suggesting that some cholesterol-lowering medications and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, but these suggestions have been difficult to substantiate. There are medications that can stabilize problem behaviors in Alzheimer patients. However, there are no known drugs that are accepted to affect the Alzheimer's disease process. Unfortunately, there is a flaw in the logic that has led to the study of most of the drugs now in the research pipeline, which leads to the likely conclusion that many of the new, experimental drugs will aggravate, not benefit, Alzheimer's disease. Fortunately, the FDA will not approve drugs unless they show a clear benefit for patients. Recent evidence has suggested that two natural metabolic hormones, insulin and leptin, may play a role in Alzheimer's disease, and modifying these hormones may be helpful to delay Alzheimer's disease.

Stay active – physically, intellectually, socially, spiritually and academically. Get interested in things that are good for the world and the future of mankind, and pursue them. Learning another language is excellent for the memory, as is learning a new musical instrument (or even new music on an instrument you already know). Swimming is probably the best exercise, and walking or jogging are also good. If you ride a bicycle, wear your helmet, have a flag on your vehicle and avoid traffic.

Yes, there are now many recognized reasons why individuals over 65, or younger with certain risk factors, should be screened yearly for difficulties with thinking or remembering. There is mounting evidence that early recognition of cognitive problems will allow for patients to be treated more effectively, not just for problems related to cognition, but for other problems as well, and there appear to be society benefits, also.

Clinicians should arrange a memory screening for any patient over 65 that they are about to see. This can be done easily and inexpensively at a site like Memtrax. A clinician needs to know if a patient's memory is functioning so to fully rely on the patient's report of his/her history and symptoms, as well as trust that he/she will be able to remember and implement treatment instructions given to them.

It is now recognized that establishing a patient's level of mental function is a "quality of care" issue, to ensure that the level of the patient's reporting and potential cooperativeness can be established for appropriate care. Individuals with memory problems may cost insurance companies more in the long run if they are not able to appropriately follow medical recommendations, so evaluation of memory function is important in this context as well. Individuals who have memory problems diagnosed early are more likely to have successful treatment if a reversible problem is found, which can ultimately delay nursing home placement, if their condition is treated sooner rather than later.