When is forgetfulness okay and when do you need to see a doctor?

NEW YORK – I was in the supermarket recently when a woman came running towards me.

“Jancee!” she said. “How are you?”

I smiled. She looked familiar, but what was her name? As she chatted, I silently recited the alphabet, hoping it would jog my memory. Please don’t let her name be Zoe, I thought. I can’t fake this for much longer.

It is natural to wonder whether one’s memory is getting worse as one ages – and those concerns are not unreasonable.

Some 5.8 million Americans live with dementia, which is marked by a significant loss of cognitive functions. And the biggest risk factor for dementia is ageing.

But some age-related memory lapses are not cause for concern.

I spoke with four experts about the ways memory shifts, how people can remember a bit more and when to discuss forgetfulness with a doctor.

Normal to forget names temporarily

I asked Dr Mario Mendez, director of behavioural neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, about age-related memory problems, but he corrected my choice of words.

“I’d say ‘memory changes’,” he said. “And that does not necessarily translate into a problem.”

In a study of nearly 50,000 people, researchers found that short-term memory peaks at around age 25.

But starting in your 50s, Dr Mendez said, the area of the brain in charge of memory retrieval is less efficient. Still, “being less efficient is different from impairment”, he said.

So, if you are struggling to remember that movie starring that guy, the memory is often there, Dr Mendez said. It just takes longer to surface. “And then, lo and behold, five minutes later, you remember,” he said.

Forgetting your car keys or someone’s name is often seen as a brain malfunction, but it is not, said Dr Ronald Davis, professor of neuroscience at the Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology.

People are inundated with so much information, he said, and the brain has to manage memories. “Forgetting is a normal part of one’s brain function,” he added.

Make lifestyle changes to keep memory sharp

Just because memory changes are normal, it does not mean that you cannot try to improve your memory, said Dr Arman Fesharaki-Zadeh, an assistant professor of neurology and psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine.

Instead of using recall-enhancing tricks – like the one I tried in the supermarket – a few lifestyle changes may help.

First, Dr Fesharaki-Zadeh said, limit multitasking.

It is not good for your brain health in general, but as people get older, their capacity to multitask typically diminishes.

Be mindful of stress, which has a direct influence on memory, he said.

Several studies link sleep loss to memory deficits, so do your best to get adequate rest.

Diet can also affect memory. Eating fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats has been shown to correlate with better cognition.

Finally, Dr Fesharaki-Zadeh said, a half-hour of daily cardiovascular exercise can generate new neurons in the hippocampal area of the brain, which is critical for memory consolidation.

When a doctor’s visit is in order

There are circumstances when you should check with your doctor, Dr Fesharaki-Zadeh said.

If someone who knows you well points out that your forgetfulness has changed significantly, it might be a sign of something more serious.

Early signs of dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, include losing the ability to retrace steps, problems judging distances and increasingly needing memory aids such as notes or phone alerts.

If you feel like memory loss is disrupting your daily life, make an appointment with a doctor, said Dr Scott Small, a professor of neurology at Columbia University in New York and author of Forgetting: The Benefits Of Not Remembering.

A good clinician, he said, can explore potential causes for memory problems, whether it is a disease or other factors, such as certain painkillers or sleeping aids.

After talking to the brain experts, I felt reassured.

And my friend’s name, as it turned out, was Erica – so I had to fake recognition for only a few seconds. NYTIMES