UC Irvine Health System
UC Irvine Health System
15/08/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 15/08/2024 19:07
Some cognitive functions measurably decline after 60, says UCI Health expert
Some cognitive functions measurably decline after 60, says UCI Health expert
A comprehensive test considers memory, recognition, personality and more
August 15, 2024
IN THE NEWS: As the senior population in the United States grows, so does the debate about when cognition begins to decline and how it's recognized.
UCI Health neurologist Dr. Mark Fisher appeared on The Daily Show to talk about how the brain evolves as it ages and how scientists measure cognitive changes.
"I think that the experience that one gains over the course of a lifetime is extraordinarily important. But there are some measurable cognitive functions that do begin to decline after the age of 60.
During one part of a cognitive test, he says, "an individual is given a number of things to remember. And then after a period of time, three to five minutes, they're asked to repeat that. But it's only one part of the exam. You have to look at the entire exam. And you have to look at someone's personality."
Fisher sees patients at UCI Health Neurology Services and is a professor in the Department of Neurology at the UC Irvine School of Medicine. He was the founding director of what eventually became the UCI Health Stroke & Cerebrovascular Center, which is among the first stroke programs in the nation to earn national certification as a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission.
Fisher has repeatedly been named a Physician of Excellence by the Orange County Medical Association. Fisher is the author or co-author of numerous peer-reviewed publications on the topics of stroke and vascular neurobiology.