The 'Socola' Institute of Psychiatry in Iasi has announced that it will hold the third edition of its 'Memory Testing Campaign' on Saturday and Sunday, a campaign addressing people of all ages and aimed to identify individual risk factors that may predispose people to memory disorders, while also providing participants with specialist counselling.

According to the Institute, the campaign, organised to mark World Alzheimer's Day, will take place at four locations in Iasi: Stefan cel Mare si Sfant pedestrian area, Oancea Esplanade in the Tatarasi neighbourhood, Copou Park and Voievozilor Park in the Alexandru cel Bun neighbourhood, between 12:00 and 19:00.

Participants in the campaign will have their memory tested and, depending on the results, will receive advice on preventing and managing memory disorders, as well as information and support for those caring for people with neurocognitive disorders.

These services will be provided by teams from the 'Socola' Institute of Psychiatry in Iasi, made up of psychiatrists and psychologists, who will support participants throughout the campaign and, of course, afterwards, through the specialist medical services available at our medical facility.

'Through this campaign, we want to bring prevention closer to people and encourage early assessment of memory problems, regardless of age. These disorders should not be viewed merely as a natural consequence of ageing, and the early identification of risk factors or cognitive changes can be an important step towards specialist intervention and monitoring. We invite the people of Iasi to join us over these two days, have their memory tested and talk to specialists from the 'Socola' Institute of Psychiatry in Iasi about cognitive health and ways in which it can be protected,' manager of the 'Socola' Institute of Psychiatry in Iasi, Dr Cristina-Elena Dobre, told AGERPRES.

As part of the campaign, participants will be assessed using one of the most widely used and trusted memory-testing tools, the MMSE test. It was developed by Dr Marshall Folstein and Susan Folstein and was first published in 1975. It is widely used to assess cognitive impairment in adults.

'Experience from previous editions has shown us that there is genuine interest in such assessments and that, in some cases, the results may indicate the need for further medical assessment. Through this campaign, we want to encourage people to pay attention to their cognitive health and not postpone seeking medical advice when signs emerge that raise concerns,' Dr Elena Ungureanu, a senior psychiatrist and campaign coordinator, told AGERPRES.

The Memory Testing Campaign is organised to mark World Alzheimer's Day, observed annually on 21 September, and is part of a series of information and awareness-raising activities focused on cognitive health.

This year, the international campaign is focusing on a new era of clinical trials in dementia and on the importance of research in developing more effective methods of diagnosis and treatment. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniela Malache; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)