Is Your Memory Normal? - WebMD

Other Causes of Memory Loss · Stress and anxiety · ADHD · Depression · Metabolic diseases such as thyroid gland diseases, diabetes, and lung, liver, ... MenuMedicalReferenceFeaturesQuizzesNewsArchiveNewsReferenceSlideshowsQuizzesVideosFindaNeurologistMedicationsOverview&FactsSymptoms&CausesDiagnosis&TreatmentLiving&CaregivingLong-TermPlanningSupport&ResourcesAgingWellBrain&NervousSystemDementiaDownSyndromeDrugInteractionCheckerFrontotemporalDementiaPalliativeCareParkinson'sDiseasePick'sDiseaseMoreRelatedTopicsDementiaandAlzheimer'sFeatureStoriesMenuMedicallyReviewedbyLouiseChang, MDonJuly01,2006FromtheWebMDArchivesTheysaythatmemorylossisthesecondthingtohappenasyougetolder.Sowhat'sthefirst?Umm,Iforgot!Andactually,bythetimeyoureachtheendofthisstory,youmayrememberonlyafractionofit.Nottoworry,you'renotalone.Expertssaythatmildmemorylossisperfectlynormal--especiallyasweage.That'sright,ifyousometimesforgetsimplethings,you'renotnecessarilydevelopingAlzheimer'sdisease.Thereisagangofpeoplewalkingaroundjustlikeyouwhooccasionallymisplacetheirkeys,havethatdeer-in-headlightslookastheysearchfortheircarsinparkinglots,andcan'trecallthenameofonenewpersontheymetattheirlastofficeparty--yes,theonefromlastnight.Andthere'sareasonforthosecharacter-themedfloorscoupledwiththehappy-go-luckymusicinDisneyamusementparkparkinggarages."Ifwehaveforgottenanappointment,webeginthinking,'Uhoh,isthisthefirstsignofAlzheimer'sdisease?'andwebecomemuchmoreconscious,anditgetskindofadisproportionateamountofattentionwhenitreallymaybesomethingquitebenign,"StuartZola,PhD,professorofpsychiatryandbehavioralsciencesattheEmorySchoolofMedicineanddirectorofYerkesNationalPrimateFacilityinAtlantatellsWebMD.Memoryistheabilitytonormallyrecallthefactsandeventsofourlives,andthistakesplaceinthreestages:Stage1:Encoding.Thisiswhenapersontakesinformationin.Stage2:Consolidation.Thisiswhenthebraintakestheinformationitencodesandprocessesitsothatitgetsstoredincertainareasofthebrain.Stage3:Retrieval.Whenapersonrecallsstoredinformationinthebrain.ButdifferentiatingbetweennormalmemorylossandAlzheimer'sdiseasecanbepuzzlingforalayman;thekindofmemorythatisaffectedinday-to-daysituationsisalsothekindaffectedintheearlystagesofAlzheimer'sdisease.Time:Memory'sWorstEnemyFearnot,memorylossandbrainagingareanaturalpartofgettingolder."Itisoftenthecasethatpeoplewillstarttoreportintheir50sthattheythinktheirmemoriesareslipping,"saysZola,aresearchcareerscientistwhohasdedicatedhisworktomemoryfunction."Theyseemtobeconsciouslyawareofthatbecausetheyhavetousemorekindsofremindersormorekindsofstrategiestorememberthings."Butmemorylosscanhappenevenbeforewehitour50s.Manypeopleevenintheir20sand30shaveforgottenanameoranappointmentdateorsomefactthatwasonthe"tipoftheirtongue."Memoryistricky,andtimeisitsworstenemy,saysZola.Infact,shortlyaftertakingininformation,memorytracesbegintodeteriorate,heexplains."Somethingsbegintofaderightaway,otherthingsfadelessquickly,andthey'reabunchofdifferentforgettingcurveswithdifferentratesofforgettingdependingthenatureofthematerial,dependingonhowimportantitisforyou,dependingonyourstresslevel,dependingon...allofthethingsthatcanaffectmemory."Ifyou'veevergottenintoheateddebatewithsomeoneabouthowapasteventorexperiencetranspired,there'salikelyreason.Youmaythinkyouhaveavividmemoryofanexperience,butstudiesshowthatafterawhile,peopleprobablydon'tremembereventsastheyactuallyhappened.Memorydistortion--alsoasideeffectoffathertime--explainsthis.Thisisthephenomenonwhereastimepassesourabilitytoaccuratelyrecalleventsbecomesdiminished--andthelongertheperiodoftimethatpassesbetweentheeventandtryingtorecallit,thegreaterthechancewe'regoingtohavesomememorydistortionsandforgetting.Sometimestimedistortioncausesustoforgettheeventtotally,Zolaexplains.OtherCausesofMemoryLossButevenifyouthinkyourslipsoftheoldnogginaren'tnormal,therecouldbeotherreasonsforitshortofAlzheimer'sdisease,including:StressandanxietyADHDDepressionMetabolicdiseasessuchasthyroidglanddiseases,diabetes,andlung,liver,orkidneyfailureAlcoholismVitaminB-12deficiencyInfectionsDrugs,bothprescriptionandover-the-counterThegoodnewsis,causesofmemorylossfrommanyoftheseconditionsarenormallyreversible.Zolasaysdepressionandstressarethemostcommonreasonsfortemporarymemoryproblems."Ifyourencodingisn'tgood,you'renotgoingtogettheinformationinproperly,andsoyou'regoingtohavedifficultyretrievingitbecauseitisn'tthereingoodformtoretrieve.Sothat'sthekindofmemoryproblemassociatedwithdepression,orwithattentiondeficitdisorder,asitsnameimplies,youhavetroublepayingattentionandfocusing."Stressaffectsthewaythebrainprocessesmemory,ZolatellsWebMD."Soit'snotsosurprisingthatyouhavememoryproblemsoftenduringverystressfulstatesbecausepartofthebrainisnotengagedinthewayitneedstoordinarilybeinordertohavegoodmemory."UseItorLoseItNomatterhow"normal"memorylapsesmaybe,let'sfaceit,thatdoesn'tmakethemanylessfrustrating.Expertsagreethatthebestwaytokeepyourbrainfitistokeepusingit."Peopleshouldrealizethattheyhavemorecontrolthantheythink,thatone-third[ofmemoryloss]isgenetics,thatmeanswehavethepotentialtoinfluencealargecomponentofourbrainaging,"GarySmall,MD,authorofTheMemoryBible:AninnovativeStrategyforKeepingYourBrainYoung,anddirectoroftheMemoryandAgingResearchCenterattheUCLApsychiatricinstitutetellsWebMD."Thesoonerwegetstarted,thesoonerwe'regoingtobenefitfromit."Smallemphasizesfourthingsinhisbookstoslowdownbrainaging:mentalactivity,physicalfitness,stressreduction,andhealthydiet."Peoplewhoeattoomuchareatriskforhighbloodpressure,highcholesterol,diabetes,andotherconditionsthatincreasetheirriskforsmallstrokesinthebrain.Secondly,youwanttohaveadietthat'srichinantioxidants."Smallsaysantioxidantshelpprotectbraincellsandexercisehelpswithoverallhealth.Stayingintellectuallyandsociallyengagedare"probablythemostimportantthingsyoucandotohelpextendandmaintainyourcognitiveabilitiesforalongerperiodoftimeinlife,"Zolasays.Challengingoneselfbylearningnewthings,reading,andtakinguphobbieskeepthebrainactiveandstrongforthelonghaul.Someotherthingsyoucandotoimprovememoryinclude:Focusyourattention.Forgetfulnessmayindicatethatyouhavetoomuchonyourmind.Slowdownandfocusonthetaskathand.Smallsaysmultitaskingandnotpayingattentionaresomeofthebiggestcausesofforgetfulness,especiallyinyoungerpeople.Reducestress.Stresscanendangerthebrainareasinvolvedwithmemoryprocessingandimpairmemory.Choosetosnooze.Zolasayssleepisimportantbecausefatiguecanaffectmemoryandconcentrationinanyagegroup.Structureyourenvironment.Usecalendarsandclocks,listsandnotes,andwritedowndailyactivitiesonaplanneroruseanelectricorganizer.Storeeasy-to-loseitemsinthesameplaceeachtimeafterusingthem.Parkyourcarinthesameplaceattheofficeeachday.Trymemorytricks.Torememberaperson'sname,repeatitseveraltimesafterbeingintroduced.Usethesamepersonalidentificationnumber(PIN)forallofyouraccountsifnecessary.WhentoSeeaDoctorAlzheimer'sdiseaseisaprogressiveconditionthatdamagesareasofthebraininvolvedinmemory,intelligence,judgment,language,andbehavior.WhilethereisnodefinitivewaytopinpointanAlzheimer'sbrain--shortofautopsy--therearesomediagnosticwaysdoctorsdistinguishnormalmemorylossfromthatwhichshouldraiseconcern.Normalforgetfulnessincludes:ForgettingpartsofanexperienceForgettingwhereyouparkthecarForgettingeventsfromthedistantpastForgettingaperson'sname,butrememberingitlaterWhileresearchshowsthatuptohalfofpeopleoverage50havemildforgetfulnesslinkedtoage-associatedmemoryimpairment,therearesignswhenmoreseriousmemoryconditions,suchasAlzheimer'sdisease,arehappening,including:ForgettinganexperienceForgettinghowtodriveacarorreadaclockForgettingrecenteventsForgettingeverhavingknownaparticularpersonLossoffunction,confusion,ordecreasingalertnessSymptomsbecomemorefrequentorsevereStillconfused?Zolasumsitup."Thekindofruleofthumbthat'skindofwhimsicalinasensebutcliniciansoftenuseis,ifyou'reworriedabout[yourmemory],it'sprobablynotthatserious,butifyourfriendsandrelativesareworriedaboutit,thenitprobablyismoreserious."MemoryChanges:WhentoCallaDoctorForgetfulness:IsItNormalAgingorAlzheimer's?TipstoDealWithAlzheimer'sinDailyLifeMSBrainFog:TrickstoKeepYourselfSharpHowAlzheimer'sAffectsYourBodyWhiteMatterDisease:7SymptomsCopingwithMemoryLossWhenYourMemoryPlaysTricksonYouTipsforaBetterMemoryIsYourMemoryNormal?4WaystoStopAge-RelatedMemoryLoss9BrainBoosterstoPreventMemoryLossMemoryLossWithAlzheimer'sDisease:WhattoExpectDementiaandAlzheimer'sMemoryLossTopicsSlideshow:Alzheimer’sOverviewWhenit’smorethanjustforgetfulness.8HabitsThatCanHurtYourBrainThesemayharmyourcognition.WhatIsSundowning?Commonsymptomstolookfor.Quiz:Alzheimer’sMyths&FactsCandrinkingredwinereversethedisease?ARTICLEAlzheimer'sCaregiverChecklistARTICLEEatThesetoCutAlzheimer'sOddsArticleAlzheimer'sandSleepProblemsARTICLEWhatIsLewyBodyDementia?ARTICLESymptomsofWhiteMatterDiseaseARTICLEIsItNormalAgingorAlzheimer's?ARTICLE7StagesofAlzheimer'sARTICLE5MythsAboutAlzheimer'sDiseaseEarly-OnsetAlzheimer'sSignsDifferencesBetweenAlzheimer's&Dementia5MythsAboutAlzheimer'sHabitsThatCanHurtYourBrainDietMayCutAlzheimer'sOdds10TypesofDementiaHealthSolutionsPenisCurvedWhenErect?CouldIhaveCAD?TreatBentFingersTreatHR+,HER2-MBCTiredofDandruff?BenefitsofCBDRethinkMSTreatmentAFib-RelatedStrokesRiskofaFutureDVT/PEIsMyPenisNormal?RelapsingMSOptionsLiverTransplantsSaveLivesFinancePlasticSurgeryBentFingerCausesLivingWithPsoriasis?MissingTeeth?MorefromWebMD5TipstoHelpWithRelapsingMSHowtoThriveWithNarcolepsyReliefforBlockedHairFolliclesPsoriaticArthritisandYourSleepWhatPsoriasisFeelsLikeFirstPsoriaticArthritisFlareTalkingtoYourDoctorAboutRACrohn's:A'Full-Body'DiseaseAvoidingCrohn’sFlaresHealthBenefitsofHempSeedOilLiveBetterWithPsoriaticDiseaseTypesofB-CellTherapyforMS5HealthBenefitsofHempWhyProstateCancerSpreadsLivingwithAdvancedBreastCancerWhereBreastCancerSpreads