Memory and other thinking problems have many possible causes, including depression, an infection, or medication side effects. Sometimes, the problem can be treated, and cognition improves. Other times, the problem is a brain disorder, such as Alzheimer's disease, which cannot be reversed.
Not getting enough sleep is perhaps the greatest unappreciated cause of forgetfulness. Too little restful sleep can also lead to mood changes and anxiety, which in turn contribute to problems with memory.
Concussion or head trauma. Not enough oxygen getting to the brain when your heart or breathing is stopped for too long. Severe brain infection or infection around brain. Major surgery or severe illness, including brain surgery.
If you're frequently forgetting things that you always remembered before, that can be a red flag for mental deterioration or the onset of dementia. In general, if you are worried enough to ask yourself this question, you should speak to your doctor.
Introduction: The five-word test (5WT) is a serial verbal memory test with semantic cuing. It is proposed to rapidly evaluate memory of aging people and has previously shown its sensitivity and its specificity in identifying patients with AD.
Alzheimer's disease. The most common form of dementia caused by changes to nerves in the brain that become tangled, form plaques, and lose their connections to other nerves. Alzheimer's disease gets worse over time.
For most people with Alzheimer's — those who have the late-onset variety — symptoms first appear in their mid-60s or later. When the disease develops before age 65, it's considered early-onset Alzheimer's, which can begin as early as a person's 30s, although this is rare.
Health care providers often use a brief test such as the Short Test of Mental Status, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) or the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). More detailed testing may help determine the degree memory is impaired.
Scientists have long been researching the relationship between low levels of B12 (cobalamin) and memory loss. However, if you get an adequate amount of B12, there is no evidence that higher intake has positive effects.
Severe stress, depression, a vitamin B12 deficiency, too little or too much sleep, some prescription drugs and infections can all play a role. Even if those factors don't explain your memory lapses, you don't need to simply resign yourself to memory loss as you age.
Dementia affects about 5 million adults over 65 years old in the United States. A new test you can take at home may help detect early symptoms of the disease. The test, known as SAGE, can be taken online or downloaded and completed at your doctor's office.
Your doctor may recommend you have brain scans such as MRI or CT scan to see if there's a physical cause for your memory loss. Your doctor might also do cognitive tests to examine your memory issues more closely. These tests may involve: testing your attention span by seeing how well you can complete a thought or task.
A 2019 study published in Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, showed among 165 participants (45 with diagnosed neurodegenerative disease, 120 controls) a supine sleep position (on back, head at body level) for more than 2 hours per night increased the risk of dementia by almost four times (3.7 times greater).
The Mini-Cog test.
A third test, known as the Mini-Cog, takes 2 to 4 minutes to administer and involves asking patients to recall three words after drawing a picture of a clock. If a patient shows no difficulties recalling the words, it is inferred that he or she does not have dementia.
Our ability to remember new information peaks in our 20s, and then starts to decline noticeably from our 50s or 60s. Because the hippocampus is one brain region that continues producing new neurons into adulthood, it plays an important role in memory and learning.
A UCLA-led study has found that MRI scans can help doctors distinguish whether a person's memory loss is being caused by Alzheimer's disease or by traumatic brain injury.
If you're concerned about memory loss, your primary care physician is a good starting point. Your doctor will perform an initial physical exam and cognitive screening tests. If results from these tests indicate a problem, you may be referred to a neurologist for an in-depth cognitive evaluation.
It is not necessarily a sign of something serious*, but more of an occasional brain glitch. Scientists have found that some things make TOTs more common – such as caffeine, fatigue, and strong emotions – and that words learned later in life are more likely to be forgotten.