Experiencing a Brain Drain? It Might Be Preventable

You run to the supermarket to pick up a few things for dinner but before you hit the produce aisle, you forget what you came for. Then you head back to the parking lot and do a brain freeze on where you’ve parked the car. And when you finally locate it, you can’t find your keys.

These “senior moments” as they’re not-so-fondly labeled, do indeed become more frequent as we age. According to Alexander P. Auchus, MD., professor of neurology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, the average person will notice a slow down in their memory recall abilities by age forty; people who engage in highly complex cognitive tasks such as chess or mathematics, even sooner.

Are these memory lapses a cause for concern? We asked Auchus, who is also on staff at the Memphis VAMC Medical Center, to set the record straight about age-related memory issues.

If you find yourself becoming more absent minded as you age, does that mean you're at risk of developing Alzheimer’s?
Although about 4.5 million Americans are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, memory loss has many other causes; alcohol use, sleep deprivation, medications and stress to name a few. Certainly genetics and family history are risk factors for Alzheimer’s. Brain mistakes are normal but if you have concerns or you know someone older who seems to be having trouble with basic, everyday functions like brushing the teeth or putting on clothes, I recommend an evaluation by a neurologist.

How does alcohol affect memory?
Alcohol is toxic to the nervous system and abuse and can lead to forgetfulness and a high degree of mental errors. Other forms of substance abuse, like cocaine use, can cause small strokes which damage the brain and impair mental abilities including memory. The good news is that after a period of abstinence we often see an improvement in function.