Regular use of recreational drugs like marijuana, opioids, ecstasy, and cocaine can lead to memory loss or lapses in memory that may or may not be reversible.
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.
Beta-blockers are believed to cause memory issues by interfering with norepinephrine and epinephrine, which are both key chemical messengers in the brain. These anticholinergics may cause memory loss because they block the action of acetylcholine, a chemical messenger involved with many functions in the body.
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.
Neurological side effects
The FDA warns on statin labels that some people have developed memory loss or confusion while taking statins. These side effects reverse once you stop taking the medication.
Forgetfulness can arise from stress, depression, lack of sleep or thyroid problems. Other causes include side effects from certain medicines, an unhealthy diet or not having enough fluids in your body (dehydration). Taking care of these underlying causes may help resolve your memory problems.
Many people worry about becoming forgetful. They think forgetfulness is the first sign of Alzheimer's disease. But not all people with memory problems have Alzheimer's. Other causes for memory problems can include aging, medical conditions, emotional problems, mild cognitive impairment, or another type of dementia.
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.
1. Benzodiazepines. This class of medication is often prescribed to help people sleep, or to help with anxiety. They do work well for this purpose, but they are habit-forming and have been associated with developing dementia.
Some memory problems are the result of treatable conditions, and memory loss can often be reversed when the condition is treated correctly. Possible causes of reversible memory loss can include: Minor head injury/trauma such as concussion. Side effects of some medications.
Memantine (Namenda) is approved by the FDA for treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease. It works by regulating the activity of glutamate, a messenger chemical widely involved in brain functions — including learning and memory. It's taken as a pill or syrup.
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.
The answer is you are likely to have been “dual-tasking” just before speaking. It might have been because you were thinking about the words you wanted to say and something else at the same time. Or maybe you were concentrating on listening while trying to think of what to say.
This phenomenon is known as the doorway effect. If you've ever gone to a room with a purpose in mind only to forget what that reason was upon arrival, know that you're not alone. Scientists called this phenomenon the "doorway effect," and it's a real symptom of our brains being overloaded.
Brain trauma, or a brain disease, can lead to a severe form of forgetfulness called amnesia. Typical patients either forget information from their past, are unable to make new memories, or experience both types.
Subgroup analysis showed statins use was associated with Alzheimer disease (AD) (RR: 0.81; 95% CI, 0.73–0.89) and non-AD dementia (RR: 0.81; 95% CI, 0.73–0.89) risk decrement.
The good news for anyone who experiences cognitive decline related to starting statins? The brain fog goes away when you stop taking the drugs. Bottom line: If your brain tolerates statins, you don't need to worry about long-term cognitive decline as a possible side effect of these medications.
Rarely, however, statins can precipitate the onset of other serious conditions, including muscle damage and diabetes. The risk of such infrequent side effects pales in comparison with the very real risk of heart attack or stroke among those with established heart disease or history of stroke.