by wildcherry on Tuesday, November 18th, 2008 | Health, Life

It is one of those jokes neurologists regularly share when the subject turns to patients complaining of memory lapses: When you can’t remember where you left your glasses, there’s probably no need to worry. When you can’t remember you wear glasses you’re probably in trouble.

During the first several decades of life, we layer memory upon memory — the smell of a mother’s hair, the light touch of a first kiss, the multiplication tables, driving directions, telephone numbers and the skills and knowledge of an occupation. By about age 25, however, a human’s memory has typically peaked and a long period of decline begins.

It proceeds at a stately pace, virtually undetectable to most, for several decades. But around about the half-century mark, cognitive performance starts to slide noticeably. Keys and glasses are forgotten. Names, places and words linger on the tip of the tongue.

When it comes to memory lapses, what’s normal and what’s not? It is a question preoccupying more and more Americans. In June, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Alzheimer’s disease is now the sixth leading cause of death in the United States: Almost 5.2 million in the U.S. live with the disorder, a number projected to rise. The search for effective drugs has been one of frustration — just this year, two drugs in late-stage clinical trials failed to prove effective.

Where are the keys? What did I go into the kitchen for? Should I be worrying about my — you know, that thing, memory? Or is this just what happens to everyone with age?

Below are answers to common questions about memory loss

I think I’m losing my mind. I agree to a meeting and then completely forget about it. I’m introduced to someone and five minutes later don’t remember his name. Do I have Alzheimer’s disease?

Forgetting things you have recently learned is a red flag for early Alzheimer’s disease, our three experts say. “The ability to consolidate and store new memories is the first thing to go,” McGaugh says. “Established memories hang out for a long time.”

Alzheimer’s sufferers may still have a rich recall of childhood memories, beloved songs and complex activities, such as playing tennis, but not remember the name of a grandchild.

Maybe I’m just getting older. But at work, what used to take me two hours to do now takes four. I’ve always been sharp and fast on the job, but I’m not performing at my peak.

Struggling with familiar tasks and experiencing problems with abstract thinking can be early indications of Alzheimer’s disease. The aging brain can compensate for its declining performance for many years: It knows more about the world and its patterns than a younger, swifter brain. But if established work routines don’t come as easily as they did, perhaps the benefits of age are being undermined by disease.

For example, if you’re failing to detect and recognize patterns on the job — say, anticipating from experience where production bottlenecks will happen — it’s worth raising the issue with your doctor.

I misplace things. And when I’m talking, I am sometimes at a loss for the word I need. What’s wrong?

Putting your glasses in the refrigerator or a pantry cabinet rather than on your bedside table may be a sign of a problem: Misplacing things in inappropriate places is an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease.

It is also time to consult a memory specialist when you ask your spouse if she’s seen your glasses and you have trouble thinking of the word for them, or if the word that comes out is not the right one. Sometimes, those with early Alzheimer’s disease say they will get close, but a tad off the mark, to the word they’re looking for — “that thing for my nose” instead of “glasses.” Sometimes they’ll just find themselves stumped.

Source:La Times

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