Forgetfulness is a normal part of life at any age. People forget where they put their wallets and keys, they call others by the wrong names, and they walk into rooms only to forget what made them go there in the first place.

Forgetfulness does increase with age based on how the brain changes as one gets older, but there are strategies that people can use to improve their memories. Unfortunately, there are also other, non-normal causes of memory loss that do require medical attention. Understanding how the signs of more serious conditions differ from normal forgetfulness can help a person know when it is necessary to see a doctor.

Memory Storage within the Brain

The types of information that people need to remember can be different in several ways. For example, some information is only necessary to remember for short periods of time, while other information needs to be available long-term. Additionally, some information is purely fact-based and is not personally relevant (ex. George Washington was the first president of the United States). Other information is very personally relevant and may involve someone’s emotions (ex. how a spouse proposed). Still other information involves knowing how to do some kind of process (ex. driving a car or tying one’s shoelaces).

Different areas of a person’s brain are responsible for different tasks and functions, such as voluntary motor movement and processing information from the senses. The information in people’s memories is actually stored in different parts of the brain depending on what tasks, functions, and senses relate to it.

When a person perceives or registers new information (ex. a new neighbor’s name), the information is transported to his or her brain along pathways between neurons, or cells of the nervous system (which includes the brain). If a person does not focus on that information, it will only remain in the brain for a short period of time and will be stored temporarily in short-term memory. If a person focuses on that information and repeatedly uses it, it will eventually end up stored in long-term memory. A part of the brain called the hippocampus plays a key role in the process of storing information in long-term memory. Then when a person needs to retrieve information that he or she has stored in memory, the brain activates the same pathway of neurons that it used to store the information in the first place.

As a person ages, normal changes occur within his or her brain that cause glitches in its normal functioning. These glitches can affect a person’s memory. For example, the hippocampus deteriorates with age, which makes it more difficult for people to retain information and form new memories. Additionally, more neurons die as people get older, affecting the activity of chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters that are necessary for efficient communication within the brain. When messages cannot be properly communicated within the brain, it is harder for a person to retain and recall memories.

Blood flow to the brain also decreases with age, as does some people’s ability to efficiently absorb the nutrients that are important for brain activity (ex. vitamin B12, which is important for maintaining healthy nerve cells). These declines in blood flow and nutrient absorption cause decreases in the brain’s ability to function as efficiently as it once did, and impair one’s memory.

The following examples of glitches in memory are normal effects of aging, as they do not get in the way of people’s normal, everyday activities:

• Forgetting where one has put things, such as glasses or keys

• Needing more time to remember someone’s name or a task that one has set out to do (ex. walking into a room and forgetting what one was going to do in that room)

• Occasionally forgetting an appointment

• Forgetting the details of a past conversation

• Having a word “on the tip of one’s tongue” but not being able to recall it

Although the above examples of forgetfulness are normal, they are still frustrating. The following tips can help people compensate for forgetfulness:

• Write information down in the form of lists, notes, locations of objects, or steps for doing something.

• Keep a detailed calendar with appointments and a book of people’s contact information.

• Put items that are used regularly (ex. keys, glasses, wallets) in the same place every time when they are not being used.

• Set alarm clocks or timers as reminders for appointments.

• Use maps to get from one place to another.

• Ask family members and friends for reminders of places where one needs to be and things that one is supposed to be doing.

• Work on one’s ability to focus and ignore distractions (ex. listen closely when someone is talking, repeat the information back, and focus on one thing at a time).

Serious Memory Loss Problems

Some memory problems are caused by more serious conditions than just normal aging. The following are examples of memory loss that are not part of normal aging and thus could indicate a more serious issue:

• Forgetting things much more often than one used to

   

• Forgetting how to do things you have done many times before

   

• Having trouble learning new things

   

• Repeating phrases or stories in the same conversation

   

• Having trouble making choices or handling money

   

• Having trouble being able to keep track of what happens each day

   

• Forgetting how to get to places that you have been to several times before

   

• Memory loss that gets progressively worse over time

   

• Memory loss that affects daily living and work, social activities, and relationships

Conditions including mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s can cause these more serious memory loss symptoms.

• Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI): A person and his or her family members may start to wonder if there is a more serious problem causing the person’s memory loss when the forgotten information is no longer trivial. People may be diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) if they are unable to remember details of something they just read or saw a few minutes ago, if they cannot recall information that they have known for a long time (e.g., a child’s birth date), or if they have trouble finding their way around familiar environments, for example. Although the memory trouble associated with MCI may make it more difficult for people to perform their daily routines, many people with MCI can still function independently.

There is no single cause for MCI, but changes in the brain including the formation of plaques and tangles (or microscopic protein clumps), a shrinking of the hippocampus, and reduced blood flow through the brain’s blood vessels are associated with the condition.

The memory loss symptoms that characterize MCI are much less severe than those of dementia, but people with MCI do have an increased risk of developing some type of dementia.

• Dementia: When a person’s memory loss starts to interfere with his or her daily living, he or she may have dementia. Dementia is not one disease but rather a group of symptoms that affect a person’s intellectual and social abilities to a degree that gets in the way of his or her normal, daily activities. Typically, one of these symptoms is memory loss that gets progressively worse over time. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia.

• Alzheimer’s Disease: Memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease can be severe. People with the condition may repeat questions and statements over and over again, forget conversations, events, or appointments and not remember them later, and even forget the names of their family members, friends, and everyday objects.

The causes of Alzheimer’s disease are not well understood, but it leads to the death of brain cells and brain shrinkage. Abnormal formations of plaques and tangles throughout the brain seem to cause the death and destruction of brain cells in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Although there are medications and treatment strategies that can temporarily improve people’s symptoms and help to maximize their brain functioning, Alzheimer’s disease is incurable. As more brain cells die and a person’s memory and other mental functions (e.g., judgment and reasoning) decline, he or she may become increasingly dependent on others for help with normal daily living activities.

Other Causes of Memory Loss

Other health issues can cause memory loss symptoms as well, and some of these issues can even mimic the memory loss that is characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease. However, unlike the memory loss that occurs with Alzheimer’s disease, the memory loss that occurs as a result of these issues can be reversible. Other causes of memory loss include:

• Medications: Some pain medications, blood pressure medications, and sedatives, as well as some combinations of medications can interfere with the functioning of neurotransmitters involved in memory. The resulting memory loss symptoms can mimic those of Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, some medications and drug interactions can cause confusion and forgetfulness, which may be mistaken for a memory problem.

   

• Alcohol and Drug Abuse: Alcohol abuse can damage brain cells and interact with other medications to cause memory loss. Additionally, abuse of drugs such as marijuana, ecstasy, and cocaine can interfere with the functioning of neurotransmitters involved in memory.

   

• Depression: Persistent depression can cause a loss of neurons, especially in the elderly. This makes people who are depressed less able to concentrate and process information and more likely to be forgetful and confused.

   

• Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Older adults may become less able to absorb vitamin B12 from foods and can develop a deficiency. Vitamin B12 helps to keep nerve cells healthy, so not getting enough of it can affect memory because the brain is not able to work as efficiently as it was once able to.

   

• Minor Head Trauma or Injury: Head injuries (e.g., concussions) may cause memory loss because they damage neurons and temporarily interfere with how the brain works.

Because there can be so many different causes of memory loss, it can be hard for a person or even his or her family members or friends to tell if there is a serious problem. A person should consult his or her doctor when memory loss becomes frequent or noticeable enough to concern the person or his or her family members.

A doctor can help to determine the cause of a person’s memory loss and may ask a person questions about medications he or she is taking, his or her eating and sleeping habits, and whether or not he or she has been depressed recently.

Memory Loss: Normal But Preventable to Some Extent

Many people find the prospect of memory loss frustrating and scary. Memory loss is a normal part of life, though. As people age, their brains change in ways that can affect their abilities to remember as well as they once did. For example, their nerve cells die and their circulation becomes worse, meaning that their brains receive less oxygen.

When people occasionally struggle to remember where they put their keys or accidently call someone the wrong name, there is likely no need to be concerned. However, when people cannot remember how to find their way around familiar environments and cannot remember the names of their family members and friends, they may have a serious health problem, such as Alzheimer’s disease. It is also possible that their memory loss is being caused by something else, such as medications they are taking or a nutrient deficiency. If a person or his or her family members are worried about his or her memory loss, it is best to go to a doctor who can help to determine the cause of the memory loss.

There are also strategies that people can use throughout their lives to try to prevent memory loss. For example, using mental challenges can help a person maintain memory. Doing “mental exercises,” can involve playing games that involve strategy like chess, doing crossword puzzles or other puzzles, reading books, newspapers, and magazines, and learning new things.

Additionally, the same habits that can keep a person’s body healthy can also keep his or her mind sharp. For example, getting regular exercise and avoiding smoking can increase oxygen flow to the brain, which helps to improve memory. Eating a healthy diet with nutrients that are important for brain functioning (ex. B vitamins that help maintain healthy nerve cells) can maximize the brain’s abilities to store and retrieve memories as well.