Understanding memory: When forgetfulness is normal, not dementia – Maria Nicol

As we age, our brains also age. This mean we may process things slower, take longer to find a person’s name or word, or find it harder to multitask and focus. Photo / 123rf

THREE KEY FACTS

• National cases of dementia are projected to jump from around 70,000 today to at least 170,000 by 2050, but nearly half that burden could be avoided with intervention efforts.
• A major new study has linked socioeconomic data to risk of cognitive decline, finding neighbourhood deprivation can predict that danger independent of personal factors.
• Research highlights protective factors against dementia.

When I was looking after both my parents while they were living with dementia, I found if I didn’t park my car in the same place every time I went to the supermarket, I couldn’t find my car.

This forgetfulness had me seriously worried I was getting early-onset dementia, following in the footsteps of my parents.

But was I correct?

Let’s first talk about what normal memory is.

Lisa Genova’s book Memory discusses how losing your phone, forgetting someone’s name or where the car is parked, or having the answer to a question on the “tip of your tongue” are all super-common, totally normal memory failures.

Our brains are not fantastic computers which remember everything; in fact, it is sometimes in their best interest to forget.

Maria Nicol is a dementia educator with Dignified Minds.

As we age, our brains also age. This means we may process things slower, take longer to find a person’s name or word, or find it harder to multitask and focus.

We may walk into a room and forget why we are there, struggle with new technology, or not be able to recall a word, just describe it.

And if we’ve always been frustrated when doing accounts, or have forgotten people’s names or pin number, as we age, we will probably get a bit worse at these things.

The time to be concerned is when brain changes start to impact daily function and living.

For example, I love baking cakes.

I may question whether I put the sugar or salt in, and I may sometimes overcook it.

But my cake is always edible and I do not have dementia. If I were to have dementia, I may put in three cups of sugar, leave out the salt and burn it to cinders because I wouldn’t remember I was baking a cake.

Alzheimers New Zealand says warning signs may include forgetting what you did yesterday, becoming repetitive, having difficulty following a conversation or initiating a conversation, struggling with regular tasks like banking, or driving a familiar route.

Emotional and behavioural changes are often warning signs that can be missed. We can all get stressed, have a “bad day”, or make poor decisions – that’s normal life.

In comparison, warning signs for dementia may include rapid mood swings, withdrawing socially, loss of initiative or insight, a lessened capability for logic and reason, or making frequent bad decisions.

The bottom line is to ask the question: Has anything changed?

If someone is experiencing changes that are not part of normal ageing, different to their “normal”, and becoming more regular, then I would recommend seeing a health professional.

If nothing else, to rule out that the brain changes are not dementia, as there are many health factors that can look like dementia, but aren’t.

I know it would have been extremely helpful if I’d known that stress and lack of sleep, from looking after my parents living with dementia, were the causes for my forgetfulness!