News 12 at 6 O'Clock, December 9, 2009

Stacking circular blocks looks like a fun kids' game. But it's actually a common screening technique used to test our cognitive abilities.

"Our memory at age 70 is not the same as it was at 30, and that is a natural process," says Dr. Jeremy Hertza.

But sometimes memory problems could be more than getting older in the form of dementia or Alzheimer's. Dr. Hertza recommends testing for those diseases.

"These tests are very sensitive to cognitive changes, so we can often detect problems, such as a neurodegenerative condition, months before they'll ever show up on scans."

The scans are recommended for people over the age of 65, but family members may have to be the ones to pay attention.

"Family members are the first ones to notice early on that there are some problems," Dr. Hertza adds. "A patient may do their best to cover up and do the best they can, but the family may notice there are some subtle problems, some things going on."

While there's no cure for Alzheimer's or dementia, doctors say early treatment can increase a person's quality of life and help their families, too.

"It tends to really disrupt families. Patients go through a lot coming to terms with the fact that they're not going to be positioned to remember the parts that make them who they are."