Memory Loss

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• QWhat are the signs of a memory disorder?

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  A Univ. of Nev. School of Medicine, Family Medicine answered

  Signs of a memory disorder, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease include:

  • difficult recall of recent memory
  • loss of skills you used to have
  • motor dysfunction
• QWhat causes memory loss?

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  A Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answered

  In reality, most memory loss is a little like vegetable soup. Your brain is really a pot of several cognitive ailments at once-some neuron loss, some neuron tangling, some vascular problems-that all contribute to losing some ability to recall information. In fact, almost all of us have some of the characteristics as we age. Although science hasn't pinpointed why or how memory loss happens, we do know that chemical changes in the brain's structure hinder the ability to process, store, and retrieve information.
  
  As we get older, everyone has fits of forgetfulness. You might even forget things important to you and seemingly simple to remember, like names of friends, the date of your anniversary, the name of your favorite band (you know, the four guys, c'mon, bad haircuts). Anyway, age-related memory loss is normal. But we don't have to accept normal aging, and we can take steps to prevent age-related memory loss. Memory loss can start as early as age 30, but part of the complication of memory loss associated with aging is that several things cause memory loss. They are:
   

  • Vascular problems: When insufficient blood gets to the brain, the lack of bloodflow can cause mini-strokes and impair memory.
  • Alzheimer's: Here, neurons tangle with other neurons, causing them to stop working properly.
  • Neuron loss: The loss of neurons or the loss of the function of those neurons causes many age-related problems; literally, you're losing part of your mind.
  • Trauma: Memory loss can also come from trauma sustained during accidents or sports with repetitive injury to the brain, like boxing.

  Whatever the official diagnosis, you must remember several important things. One, some memory loss is associated with the loss of non-functioning brain cells, so re-growing functional neurons is important to retain memory skills (we're not sure yet how re-growth can affect those with Alzheimer's). And memory loss is also related to blockages of the small blood vessels, so one of the keys to helping prevent memory loss will be to keep your arteries young.

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• QAt what age does memory loss start?

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  A Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answered

  Many of us may think that memory loss comes at about the same time as our AARP membership cards, but the decline actually starts much earlier-in your mid 20s. It's not uncommon to see effects in your 30s and many more in your 40s.
  
  What happens is that the speed in which you process information slows down naturally as you age (it's been proven to happen in mice, rats, and primates, as well). Specifically, that comes out in an inability to store information in our short-term memory (say, not remembering a word that you recently heard).
  
  One theory for why this occurs is that a toxin eats away at that sheet of healthy fat that protects neurons; some believe that cholesterol is what creates these toxins. But other factors-including stress, thyroid disorders, diabetes, anxiety, depression, and trauma-could all play a role in starting and accelerating memory loss. Fortunately, you can take steps to slow the process.
  
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• QWhen does memory loss really begin?

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  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  We actually experience a mental decline a lot earlier than we realize. Memory loss starts at age 16 and is relatively common by 40. One way you can see this is through research done on video game players. People start losing their hand-eye coordination and the ability to perform exceptionally well on video games after the age of 25. The fascinating part of this research isn't that you'll rarely beat your kid in Mario Kart: Double Dash; it's that even if your brain knows what to do when presented with an animated hairpin turn at 135 mph, your brain can't fire those messages fast enough to your trigger-happy thumbs. There's a natural slowing of the connection - the power line - between your brain and your body.
• QWhat does blood flow have to do with memory loss?

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  A Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answered

  A lack of healthy blood flow to the brain is one of the other main causes of forgetfulness.
  
  Each side of the brain has a separate blood supply that looks like several large trees during winter. Between the twigs at the tips of the major branches are areas of brain that are dependent on blood from each of the surrounding trees. The area farthest from two blood-supply lines is the watershed area where we tend to have ministrokes when the branches of surrounding trees are pruned by atherosclerosis or the tree trunks themselves wither from poor maintenance. Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs may help maintain memory by preserving tree architecture, while also reducing inflammation that ages the brain cells directly.
• QWhat chemicals can cause memory loss?

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  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  If you're experiencing memory problems that are causing you alarm, eliminate some key chemicals from your lifestyle first, before adding anything new. That includes such things as artificial foods (like sweeteners), monosodium glutamate, and even shampoo (better to make sure the inside of your head is clean, isn't it?).

  Finally, despite their lifesaving benefits, statin drugs can uncommonly cause reversible memory loss, a discussion that you should pursue with your doctor if you are more concerned about your memory than your heart.

  Surprising tidbit: Even over-the-counter cold and allergy medications can contribute to memory problems; in fact, injecting lab animals with a common active ingredient in these drugs, diphenhydramine, is a research model for memory loss that immediately simulates Alzheimer's.

• QHow can I tell if a loved one is having memory problems?

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  A Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answered

  When trying to determine if a family member is having serious memory trouble, ask him what he had for dinner or to describe current events, or give him three objects to remember and five minutes later ask him what they are. If he has trouble with any of those questions, it's an indication that something's going wrong with his short-term memory—one of the signs of a serious cognitive dysfunction.
• QWhat can I do to treat my memory loss?

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  A Judith London, MD , Psychiatry, answered

  Get a medical and neuropsychological evaluation to pinpoint the cause since infections and depression can cause memory loss. Some people have a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment which is more than normal aging memory loss but not dementia.

  In any case, use aids to help you remember. Posted notes, writing down what's important, repeating people's names by addressing them by name help. Try to focus on one task at a time. Get enough sleep since sleep deprivation can affect your memory. Any healthy lifestyle change will do good - especially physical exercise. Learn how to relax.

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• QWhat is age-associated memory impairment?

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  A Discovery Health answered

  When we cannot remember where we put the car keys, or we forgot an important appointment, there is a good chance we are suffering from age-related memory impairment. The neurons in our brains shrink as we grow older. The chemicals that transmit messages between these neurons also are emitted in lesser quantities.

• QCan a cognitive reserve be built up to resist memory loss?

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  A Discovery Health answered

  You may be able to build up a cognitive reserve to delay the onset of dementia. Studies have shown that people with more years of education tend to get dementia later.

  It may be possible to store up cognitive reserves to help you stay mentally sharp longer.

  There are video games that are meant to challenge your brain, but scientists warn that there is little science behind them.

  It doesn't take a high-tech approach to keep your brain finely tuned. One study revealed that participants that worked a crossword four times a week had a 47 percent lower risk of dementia than those working the puzzle once a week.

  Other mental activities such as playing chess and board games, learning a foreign language, playing a musical instrument and reading are all ways to keep the brain humming.