Everyday forgetfulness like leaving keys behind or forgetting people's names is often overinterpreted as early signs of dementia, while neuroscience specialists emphasize that some cognitive changes, if addressed in time, may be reversible.
Dr. Tammy Wood, professor of pediatric medicine and neuroscience at Washington University, says minor forgetfulness is often due to fatigue or psychological stress, not the onset of a neurodegenerative disease. She told Fox News Digital in an interview: "If you want to remember something, you really have to focus on it and pay attention to it. You have to tell your brain that remembering it is important."
According to Wood, memory formation has three stages: encoding information, consolidating it into memory, and retrieving it. When a person has been under psychological stress or has not had enough sleep, they usually have trouble with retrieval - meaning the information exists in memory, but the person cannot access it at that moment. People with neurodegenerative diseases often cannot encode new information into memory from the start. They do not even recall or realize that something is happening. If you yourself notice that something is wrong, that is usually a good sign.
Clinically, dementia refers to a decline in cognitive function severe enough to impair a person's ability to manage independent daily life. Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia together account for 70 to 90 percent of cases, and many people show signs of both. Research shows at least 50 percent of dementia cases can be prevented by modifying lifestyle- and health-related risk factors. Major modifiable risk factors include cardiovascular and metabolic health problems as well as hearing and vision loss.
Wood emphasized that addressing physical problems - for example using hearing aids or undergoing cataract surgery - reduces the risk of cognitive decline. She said that if you expect your abilities to decline, you will not do the things that can prevent that decline. Believing prevention is possible makes you actually undertake those actions, and in this way you can prevent a large portion of cognitive decline.
Some studies have also shown that several treatable diseases or medical problems can produce symptoms resembling early signs of dementia or contribute to the decline in cognitive ability that the person notices.
Some common reversible causes include:
-- Vitamin deficiencies such as low levels of vitamin B12 or B1, which are essential for nerve and brain function
-- Endocrine disorders including thyroid problems, especially hypothyroidism, which slows the brain's metabolic activity
-- Medication side effects such as the effects of sedatives, anticholinergic drugs, or polypharmacy, especially in older adults
-- Mental health problems like depression and severe anxiety can lead to "pseudo-dementia"; a condition accompanied by slowed cognitive function and forgetfulness that resolves with treatment of the psychiatric issue
-- Metabolic, kidney, and liver problems including chronic kidney or liver failure and electrolyte imbalances that affect brain chemistry
Specialists emphasize that when people notice changes in "brain fog" or executive functions such as planning and decision-making, early medical evaluation is very important.
Daily brain function is in part the result of the collection of things the brain deals with, but if you notice a serious change, there is still time to take action if necessary.