Forgetfulness is an early sign of dementia, but also normal as we age; experts explain the difference

40 per cent of us experience some memory loss after the age of 65. But normally that loss is so mild it does not interrupt our lives

The biggest culprit is multitasking, a psychology professor says. Yet there’s a difference between ordinary forgetfulness and the kind that leads to dementia

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There is a big difference between exiting a shopping centre and not remembering where you parked your car and forgetting where you are or how you got there. The latter could indicate you have a problem, an expert explains. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 4:15am, 13 May 2024

This is the 36th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope.

A friend and I meet for coffee. Her mother has dementia, as did mine, and we share the fear of developing that illness. So we are both keenly aware of how well our memory is working. Memory loss is often an early sign.

I find myself fretting every time somebody says, “Remember when …” and I don’t. But memory loss is also normal as we age and a rusty memory does not necessarily mean we are about to be tipped into the abyss that is Alzheimer’s disease.

Many memory experts say we do not need to remember everything, anyway. To do so would be an unnecessary drain on our brain which, as it is, demands 25 per cent of our body’s fuel daily.

Charan Ranganath, a psychology professor at the University of California, Davis, says the most common question he is asked is ‘Why am I so forgetful’? Photo: University of California, Davis

Charan Ranganath, a psychology professor at University of California, Davis in the United States and author of Why We Remember: Unlocking Memory’s Power to Hold on to What Matters, says the most common question he is asked as a memory researcher is ‘Why am I so forgetful?’

SCMP Series

Decoding dementia

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Forgetfulness is an early sign of dementia, but also normal as we age; experts explain the difference

40 per cent of us experience some memory loss after the age of 65. But normally that loss is so mild it does not interrupt our lives The biggest culprit is multitasking, a psychology professor says. Yet there’s a difference between ordinary forgetfulness and the kind that leads to dementia

40 per cent of us experience some memory loss after the age of 65. But normally that loss is so mild it does not interrupt our lives

The biggest culprit is multitasking, a psychology professor says. Yet there’s a difference between ordinary forgetfulness and the kind that leads to dementia