Mental glitches are common, including literal paraphasia, or thinking of one word and typing another, such as "there" instead of "their," are common, as we all can attest. Even more common is the temporary inability to recall a well-known name or your best friend's phone number. There is a science behind these "senior moments," as they are commonly referred to, as reported by Melinda Beck in the Health Journal of May 27, 2008, edition of The Wall Street Journal Online.
But, as P. Murali Doraiswamy, chief of Biological Psychiatry at Duke University Medical School and co-author of "The Alzheimer's Action Plan" explains, "many cases of Alzheimer's do start out as ‘senior moments'." Because neurotransmitters, the chemicals that allow nerve cells to communicate, diminish starting in the 50s and 60s and the brain itself shrinks, it takes longer to recall information, and the cognitive function slows down.
If memory loss is due to normal aging, there are some strategies we can adopt to improve our recall of information. First, pay close attention to what it is you want to remember, whether it be a name, a place, or an event. That lays down a memory in the area used by the brain to store that type of information for later recall. Dr. Gayatri Devi, head of the New York Memory Center, says, "The richer you make the experience, the more memorable it is." Replaying the memory also serves to reinforce it. Repetition also helps reinforce abstract things like names or numbers, and finding a trick, such as mnemonic association, can be very helpful.
Surprisingly, Dr. Devi also says that "it's just as important to forget extraneous things and minimize mental clutter," and suggests using calendars, lists and personal-digital assistants to "free up your short-term memory."
When do memory lapses signal more than normal aging? The article lists several signals that are indicators. Some of them are: retaining obscure old memories, but having trouble recalling recent events and conversations; forgetting the names of simple things; changes in behavior or mood or memory.
There are many other conditions that can cause memory problems, including depression, alcohol abuse, thyroid problems, vitamin deficiencies and hormone fluctuations. In most cases, they are treatable. Even sleep-deprivation, anxiety and stress can cause lapses. The only way to determine whether it is Alzheimer's is by consulting your family doctor or a memory specialist for an evaluation. The sooner a diagnosis is made, the better the chances are that the progress of the disease can be slowed down. Unfortunately, there is no cure for Alzheimer's yet, but its symptoms can be reduced.
For the complete article, go to http://www.collegejournal.com/article/SB121155964904517695.html