CityView Magazine

Your Health Am I losing my mind? The first in a two-part series on memory By Dr. Lenny Salzberg O ne of my patients recently came in for a visit to tell me that she was having problems recalling words in conversation. Sometimes she remembered them later the same day, other times not until days later. There were times that she changed the topic to cover up any lapses in memory. Marcie (not her real name) is in her mid-60s. She has friends, family and is an active member of her church. Marcie has no problems with everyday activities such as driving and managing her money. She shops for groceries, prepares meals and does normal housekeeping with no difficulties. Should she be concerned about her memory? Could her changing memory be due to other medical conditions? Are these “senior moments” or could she have mild cognitive impairment or perhaps early Alzheimer’s disease? A decreased ability to learn new information and impairment in retrieving previously learned information are both examples of memory loss. In normal aging, the main problem is retrieval. The information is there, but it takes some work to get it out. This memory loss occurs at all ages, but we worry more about it as it becomes more frequent and as we get older. I was recently out with my wife when we ran into two women I work with: Sandy and Sirisha. I tried to introduce them to my wife, but my memory failed me. “This is Sirisha and (pause, pause, pause), another resident that has been working with me for the last two years at the AHEC,” I said. “Her name is ….” Sandy finally took pity on me and introduced herself. This scenario is embarrassing but common. Alone, it is not a sign of impairment or Alzheimer’s, just normal age-related memory loss. One of the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s is difficulty learning and retaining new information. Among the more diagnostic signs is losing the ability to perform daily tasks: driving, managing money, cooking, shopping, CityViewNC.com | 57

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