Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Dec 1.
Published in final edited form as: Biochim Biophys Acta. 2011 Sep 2;1812(12):1630–1639. doi: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2011.08.012

Figure 1. Two different cognitive decline schemes.

Figure 1

(A) Cognitive decline that accompanies brain aging does not cause dementia and is mechanistically distinct from the cognitive decline that occurs during MCI and AD. This model is inferred from neuropsychology studies. (B) Cognitive decline is part of a single continuum that, given enough time, has the ability to progress to dementia in most people. This model suggests cognitive decline in aging individuals does not necessarily represent a mechanistically or clinically benign process and implies the presence of a common underlying mechanism. This view is consistent with the experience of Memory Disorders Clinics that longitudinally evaluate patients with memory complaints.