Memory loss and aging...what's normal, what's incipient Alzheimers?

I just turned 44, and I have always prided myself on being articulate and verbally nimble.

However, in the last 2-3 years I find that often have to struggle to find a word, usually nouns. It bothers me how often I find myself resorting to things like “the go-uppy thing” when I wanted to say escalator. If I take a few moments and don’t panic, the word usually comes to me, but I need to search a lot more often than I used to. And I don’t have the rich and varied trove of words available to me instantaneously the way I used to. My day to day vocabulary seems to be shrinking. (From lack of use? The pernicious effects of email shorthand and Internet Newspeak?)

I know that as we age, we have more memory lapses, but this is getting on my nerves. Could it fall under the “normal” category, or should I be concerned? Does Alzheimers start this early? Are there exercises I can do to improve the situation? (Specifically verbally, I know of other exercises for mental stimulation in general)

stoid

Well, it isn’t just “losing words” here and there, it’s a whole constellation of symptoms that, added together, equal “Alzheimers”.

Google, “early warning symptoms alzheimers”.

http://www.dailyherald.com/special/alzheimers/2001/story9.asp

I’m 47 and I constantly refer to “wiener picker-uppers” instead of “tongs”, and nobody at this end is eyeballing me critically for possible Alzheimers. :smiley:

You’re fine. :wink:

Forgetting where you left your keys is not Alzheimer’s.

Forgetting what keys in general are for and how they function could be.

Stoid, I believe that as women approach menopause, a certain amount of memory loss is normal.

Check out this site for some more info.

I think 44 might be a tad young to be starting menopause, but I wouldn’t rule it out. My mom was pretty much done with “all that nonsense” as she like to refer to it as, by about age 47 or 48.

Al.

I notice that in the past 2 years, I am longer do well with Jeopardy as I can not bring the answer out of my brains’ hard drive. The RECAll part of my brain is shot; yet numbers and multiple choice are as good as they were 20 years ago. From what I understand, Numbers and Multiple choice is handled by a different part of the brain.

Abstract thinking as the modes and button presses on a watch to set the date and time and whatnot has also become more difficult. Even though I am an MD, it still is very bothersome and of concern even though my colleagues reassure me that this is NOT Altzheimers. :frowning:

Please insert NO longer instead of AM longer in the above comment I wrote.

First, I don’t think you don’t have anything to worry about. 44 is very young for Alzheimers (although it is not unheard of, but it occurs that early almost exclusively in those with a strong family history of early dementia). Also, the things you list sound like normal aging. However, the symptoms listed above by various posters are of late-stage Alzheimers, not early symptoms. Earlier symptoms are more subtle and you would really need testing by a qualified neuropsychologist to detect them.

One thing I would consider is pseudodementia, which is memory problems/cognitive deficits attributable to depression. If cueing helps you remember things, that is one big clue that it is normal memory loss or pseudodementia. Those with Alzheimers don’t benefit from cues.

IMHO, you shouldn’t worry about this, but if you are, I would recommend seeing a psychologist or preferably a neuropsychologist.