Within the U.S. population, sport –related injuries among individuals age 35-54 (Baby Boomers) increased about 33% from 1991 to 1998. There were approximately 365,000 hospital emergency room visits for sports related injuries in 1998 alone. Most of these were for bicycle and basketball related injuries. Baby boomers represented almost one-third of Americans who participated in sports in 1998.

As of 2005, it is likely that the number of individuals in this category who are participating in sports has increased substantially. As a consequence, concerns regarding the relationship between concussion and dementia have been increasing.

The projected prevalence of Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type (AD) over the next several decades have stimulated interest as well as increased clinical and research efforts devoted to the development of therapeutic interventions for AD. One promising approach has been to focus on the identification of AD at earlier stages to determine whether decreases in the rate of progression of disorders can be achieved with earlier intervention.

Subtle cognitive changes precede the onset of dementing disorders by as many as seven to 10 years. Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) has emerged as an identifiable condition and in many cases appears to be a transitional state preceding diagnosable AD.

MCI is characterized by:

• Memory complaints
• Normal general cognitive functioning
• Not meeting criteria required for a diagnosis of dementia
• No other medical or psychiatric condition to cause or substantially contribute to the cognitive deficits.

The concept of MCI identifies a specific subgroup but may not identify many patients with less distinctive syndromes who will progress to dementing disorders. Thus, we have assembled a group of highly skilled multi-disciplinary clinicians who will diagnose and treat more complex memory associated difficulties among our patient population.