People aware of experiencing memory loss may be at a higher risk of memory decline including the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Researchers have found a link between a person's self-awareness of memory loss and a subsequent decline in memory, particularly in an area of the brain critical to learning and recall.

The study was presented at the First Annual Dementia Congress in Chicago, Illinois, sponsored by the Alzheimer's Association and the UCLA Center on Aging.

Investigators identified 39 individuals, age 50 and older, with mild, age-related memory complaints. Standardized assessments of memory performance and ratings of self-perceived memory performance were taken. To determine possible declines in brain activity over time, each participant received a positron emission tomography (PET) scan at the start of the study and again two years later.

"We found that several subjective measures, including perceived change in memory ability and frequency of using memory aids such as lists and reminders, predicted a decline in brain function two years later," said Dr. Gary Small, director of the UCLA Center on Aging and lead researcher.

The average decline in brain activity changes -- -in one of the key memory areas for people aware of these memory changes -- was significantly greater in individuals who were aware of memory loss compared with those who noted only minimal memory decline.

Previous research has found that PET scans showing decreased brain function can predict future memory decline and can increase the accuracy of a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, especially early in the course of the disease. Self-awareness of memory performance predicted the decline of brain activity in these memory areas regardless of the patient's generic risk for the disease.

"The findings suggest that self-awareness of memory ability may be an important factor to consider in assessing mild objective memory losses," said Small.

Researchers will continue to follow these individuals to better understand the early course of Alzheimer's disease and determine whether these patterns of subjective memory loss will eventually progress to Alzheimer's disease.

Other sources: UCLA