On various moments throughout our daily lives, we may worry whether our memory gaps are the result of cognitive decline, normal aging, or the start of dementia.
You’ve taken the same route home from work for the past five years. However, you’ve been coming to a halt at the same crossing because you can’t decide whether to turn left or right.
Our first thought would be that it is due to cognitive deterioration. And, as with the rest of our bodies, our brain cells shrink as we age. They also store fewer molecules needed for communication with other neurons and maintain fewer connections with other neurons.
However, not all memory difficulties are caused by changes in our neurons as we age. The influencing factors are typically minor, such as exhaustion, anxiety, or preoccupation.
Memory loss is quite prevalent.
Our memory system is structured in such a way that forgetting is inevitable. This is a benefit rather than a disadvantage. Maintaining memories, in addition to taxing our metabolism, can make it difficult or impossible to recover certain memories when needed.
Unfortunately, we are not always in control of what is remembered and considered important. That is handled by our brain. In general, our brain prefers social information (the most recent rumors), but swiftly dismisses abstract knowledge (such as numbers).
Memory loss becomes a concern when it begins to interfere with your routine day-to-day activities. It won’t be a big deal if you forget to turn left or right. It’s not uncommon to lose track of how to drive, where you’re meant to be going, or even why you’re behind the wheel. These are indicators that more investigation is required and that something may be incorrect.
Another example is mild cognitive impairment.
Mild cognitive impairment serves as a transitional stage between age-related memory decline and more serious memory loss. The level of disability may remain constant, improve, or worsen.
It does, however, indicate a three to fivefold increased risk of acquiring future dementia-like neurodegenerative disorders. Dementia affects roughly 10% to 15% of people with mild cognitive impairment each year.
For persons with mild cognitive impairment, the ability to carry out normal activities is gradually and significantly impaired over time. It can create problems with language, thinking, and decision-making, in addition to memory loss.
A minor cognitive impairment diagnosis can have both positive and bad consequences. It lends credence to the assumption that memory impairment in the elderly is unusual. It also raises concerns that it will lead to dementia. It may, however, lead to the exploration of potential treatments and future planning.
Being disoriented can be a red flag.
Impaired navigation is thought to be a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease, as it is the most common form of dementia. According to MRI study, the first areas of this degenerative sickness to be harmed are those that are significantly accountable for our spatial environment memories.
As a result, an increase in the frequency of being lost could be an indication of more serious and widespread difficulties in the future.
Given the projected association between declines in orientation and dementia, there is an incentive to develop and use standardised tests to detect impairments as early as possible.
There is no gold standard at the moment; instead, the scientific literature examines a number of methodologies, ranging from pen-and-paper tests to virtual reality to actual navigation.
It is especially difficult to develop a test that is reliable, inexpensive, and simple to use on a busy clinic day.
We devised a five-minute test to assess navigation ability using scene memory as a stand-in. We invite participants to recollect house photos before testing their ability to differentiate between the learned images and a set of brand-new house images.
We discovered that the test predicts natural variations in way-finding ability effectively in healthy young adults; nevertheless, we are presently evaluating the test’s performance in seniors.
Seek help if you frequently have memory loss.
While everyday memory lapses are not cause for concern, it is prudent to seek expert health care guidance, such as from your GP, if such impairments become more pronounced and consistent.
Alzheimer’s disease currently has no known therapy, but early detection allows you to plan for the future and manage the condition more effectively.
