Screening check
Should I be screened for memory or thinking problems?
Dementia and milder memory or thinking problems become more common with age. The US Preventive Services Task Force looked at whether adults 65 and older with no signs of a problem should be screened. Check what it says for you.
About you
Nothing you enter leaves this page.
What you will see
What the USPSTF says about memory screening for you.
Educational only, not medical advice. This is not a memory test. Talk to a clinician about any changes.
Source
US Preventive Services Task Force, February 2020 recommendation on screening for cognitive impairment in older adults. An update is in progress; the 2020 statement is the current one.
Validated in
Adults 65 and older living in the community without recognized signs or symptoms of cognitive impairment.
Limits
It is not a memory test and cannot tell whether you have dementia. It does not cover people with noticed changes, or people in hospital or a nursing home.
What the USPSTF recommends
| Who | Recommendation | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Adults 65 and older living in the community, with no recognized signs or symptoms | Evidence is insufficient to weigh the benefits and harms of screening | I |
The 2020 statement is consistent with the 2014 statement (USPSTF 2020). It does not apply to people who are hospitalized or live in institutions such as nursing homes. Looking into signs or symptoms that the person, family or clinician have noticed, even subtle ones, is not considered screening. Clinicians should stay alert to early signs such as problems with memory or language and evaluate as appropriate (USPSTF 2020). The USPSTF has started an update; it is at the research plan stage, so the 2020 statement still applies.
Why it matters
Dementia affects an estimated 9.9% of people aged 75 to 84 and 29.3% of those 85 or older in the US (USPSTF 2020). Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is not severe enough to stop someone living independently. One review found 32% of people with MCI develop dementia over 5 years, while 10% to 40% may return to normal over about 4 to 5 years (USPSTF 2020). As many as 29% to 76% of people with dementia are not recognized in primary care (USPSTF 2020).
Why the evidence falls short
The one trial that tested screening itself (about 4,000 people) found no difference in quality of life, use of health care or advance care planning, though many people declined to take part or to follow up after a positive screen (USPSTF 2020). Dementia medicines (cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine) improved test scores in the short term, but by amounts that would generally not be considered clinically important, and cholinesterase inhibitors can cause harms, some serious, such as a slow heart rate and falls (USPSTF 2020). A possible harm of screening is being labeled with an illness that usually progresses and has limited treatment; studies disagree on whether knowing a diagnosis raises stress or depression (USPSTF 2020).
Common questions
What raises the risk?
Age is the strongest known risk factor. Others include diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, depression, physical frailty, low education and low social support (USPSTF 2020).
What would a screening test involve?
Brief tests ask you to do a series of tasks that check one or more areas of thinking; examples include the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the clock drawing test. They cannot diagnose dementia or MCI; a positive result leads to further tests and a fuller medical evaluation (USPSTF 2020).
Also see the hearing loss screening check, the PHQ-9 depression screen, the high blood pressure screening check and all screening tests by age.
Sources
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2020;323(8):757-763. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/cognitive-impairment-in-older-adults-screening
Written and maintained by the uncovermyrisk.com editorial team. We do not have a medical reviewer; every claim links to its primary source above. Last reviewed: 2026-10-30. Spotted an error? See About.