Mayo Clinic Defines New Memory Loss Syndrome Affecting Older Adults

Mayo Clinic researchers have defined new criteria for Limbic-predominant Amnestic Neurodegenerative Syndrome (LANS), a memory-loss condition in older adults that mimics Alzheimer’s but progresses more slowly and has a better prognosis, aiding in more accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have established new criteria for a memory-loss syndrome in older adults that specifically affects the brain’s limbic system. Often mistaken for Alzheimer’s disease, Limbic-predominant Amnestic Neurodegenerative Syndrome (LANS) progresses more slowly and has a better prognosis. This newly defined syndrome provides clearer guidelines for doctors working to diagnose and treat patients with memory loss.

Prior to the researchers developing clinical criteria published in the journal Brain Communications, the hallmarks of the syndrome could be confirmed only by examining brain tissue after a person’s death. The proposed criteria provide a framework for neurologists and other experts to classify the condition in patients living with symptoms, offering a more precise diagnosis and potential treatments. They consider factors such as age, severity of memory impairment, brain scans, and biomarkers indicating the deposits of specific proteins in the brain.