Is that brief memory lapse merely a “senior moment” or a sign of early Alzheimer’s disease? That question vexes millions of Americans.

But a spate of new tests are available that can help distinguish between simple memory loss and serious dementia, but most Americans don't know about them, The New York Times reports.

Specialists at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York offer a full-blown neuropsychological assessment — two days of tests of cognitive abilities that include I.Q. and memory scales, auditory learning and animal naming tests, an oral word association test, and a connect-the-dots trail-making test.

But other simpler office tests, performed in eight to 12 minutes, can also help doctors determine whether memory issues are normal for one’s age or are problematic and warrant a more thorough evaluation.

Among the most popular screening tests for memory disorders is the Mini-Mental State Exam, or MMSE, an eight-minute test in use since 1975. But neurologists say it is less discerning than the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, or MoCA, introduced in 1996, The Times reports.