Testing For Signs Of Dementia

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - We know that dementia is a major cause of death in the United States. A condition called mild cognitive impairment or MCI is a precursor to dementia.

MCI is associated with mild changes in thinking abilities that are noticeable but don't impact daily activities.

Most doctors use a screening test which asks questions of patients to predict if MCI is an issue. Now, research suggests that an electroencephalogram (EEG) can measure brain speed and serve as an additional tool to the memory questionnaires to predict problems.

More work will be done but it is interesting.