Age-Associated Memory Impairment.

At present, there is no formally approved or generally accepted treatment for age-associated memory impairment (AAMI). Since 1991, when regulatory agencies took a cautious stance on pharmacologic treatments for AAMI, there have been no clinical drug treatment trials for this condition. Regulators are concerned about the safety of a memory-enhancing drug that may entail lifelong intake by otherwise healthy elders and about the abuse potential of a "smart" drug. Such concerns, although valid, should be addressed, not evaded; they should not be a reason to suspend research into drugs to treat AAMI. Moreover, in the opinion of some investigators, AAMI is part of "normal" aging and not a disease and therefore need not be treated. Too little is known about the neurobiology of AAMI to make such a judgment. Even if AAMI is part of so-called normal aging, however, it should not be excluded as a subject for research. As stated by Ferris and Kluger, although ".we think nothing of trying to alleviate or delay the clinical consequences of aging on other organ systems, we seem reluctant to show the same consideration for the brain." An effective and safe treatment for AAMI would significantly improve the quality of life for many elderly people.