Everyone experiences occasional memory lapses, which are often termed senior moments by those older than they care to be. While a frequent source of complaint, such events are generally not cause for worry. However, there are diseases that can cause much more profound and debilitating memory impairment. The most commonly recognized illness that causes memory loss is Alzheimer's disease (AD). In addition, other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's, Huntington's and Pick's disease, include memory problems among their symptoms. Vascular disorders and stroke are common causes of memory impairment in the elderly. There is also a rapidly growing population of otherwise healthy elderly people who develop memory problems that are severe enough to interfere with their everyday lives. While these conditions are most commonly seen in the aged, many young people with depression or schizophrenia, or who suffer from AIDS, also...