President Joe Biden was declared fit for duty by his physician after his annual physical on Feb. 28, the same month a special counsel report raised concerns about his memory. However, the 81-year-old did not undergo a cognitive exam because both his primary care doctor and neurologist said it wasn’t necessary, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
Neurologists told NBC News the memory issues the president has displayed recently — namely forgetting dates and mixing up names — do not indicate Biden has dementia and instead could just be a normal part of aging.
Still, Biden’s age and fitness for the presidency are top of mind for many voters heading into the 2024 election. A Feb. 6 national NBC poll found three-quarters of respondents, including half of Democrats, have concerns about his mental and physical health.
Less than half of respondents felt the same way about Republican frontrunner former President Donald Trump, who’s also had memory issues, recently mixing up fellow presidential candidate and former Gov. Nikki Haley and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Trump has also confused Biden and former President Barack Obama at least seven times, Forbes reported.
At the press conference after Biden’s physical, Jean-Pierre said he “passes a cognitive test every day” because he constantly “moves from one topic to another topic, understanding the granular level of these topics.” And within hours of the release of the special counsel report, Biden staunchly defended his cognition, telling reporters, “My memory’s fine,” though later in his speech he mixed up the names of two heads of state for the third time that week.
So, what are the signs that a person, especially an older adult, is in need of a cognitive exam or screening for dementia? Here’s what experts say. (These experts have not treated Biden or Trump and stress that only their medical teams can provide an assessment of their cognition.)
What is dementia?
Dementia is a…
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