Johns Hopkins Health Alerts | Memory | Low Memory Loss, Dementia and Aging

• The difference between normal forgetfulness that increases with age and serious dementia is that the former is frustrating but not disabling.

A certain amount of memory loss is to be expected with age. Most people have more difficulty recalling names and words as they get older, so this is by no means symptomatic of dementia.

If you are occasionally forgetful, an adage can serve to reassure you: “You need not worry if you forget where you put your car keys; you only need to worry if you forget what they’re used for.” The difference between normal memory loss that increases with age—known clinically as age-associated memory impairment—and serious dementia is that the former is frustrating but not disabling.

The memory lapses associated with age-associated memory impairment are more likely to occur when a person is tired, sick, distracted, or under stress. Under less stressful circumstances, the same person is usually able to remember the necessary information with ease.

Indeed, studies repeatedly show that older people who do poorly on timed tests actually do as well as or better than their college-age counterparts when they are permitted to work at their own pace.

People who worry about memory loss are unlikely to suffer from a serious memory condition, while people with serious memory impairment tend to be unaware of their lapses, do not worry about them, or attribute them to other causes.

However, if memory lapses interfere with normal daily functioning, or if close friends and relatives believe that someone’s lapses are serious, a more complex cause may be the reason—and a visit to a physician may be in order.

Johns Hopkins Health Alerts | Memory | Low Memory Loss, Dementia and Aging