Cognition is a Critical Vital Sign for Older Adults: The Need for Early Detection of Cognitive Impairment is Now

Robin C. Hilsabeck, Laura H. Lacritz, Mary K. Colvin, Patricia Espe-Pfeifer, Scott A. Sperling, Peter A. Arnett, William Perry

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The number of older adults in America is increasing every year, and in just over one decade, people aged 65 and older will surpass the number of children under age 18 for the first time in history. Along with the aging of America comes increase in the prevalence of cognitive impairment because age is the primary risk factor for neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer disease and related disorders. There is an urgent need to identify cognitive impairment as early as possible so interventions can be deployed to reduce the associated medical, behavioral, and economic burden on patients, families, and society in general. Launching public health campaigns, investing in a workforce that is trained and incentivized to detect and manage cognitive impairment, and leveraging technology to facilitate and improve early detection are a few strategies that may help address this growing healthcare crisis.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)188-195
Number of pages8
JournalPolicy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Volume9
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2022

Keywords

  • Alzheimer's disease
  • dementia
  • mild cognitive impairment
  • primary care
  • technology

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology
  • Public Administration

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