Strictly speaking, memory loss means forgetting things. These “things” could be facts, names or where you left something. If you define memory loss in this broad way, all of us have some memory loss. But the phrase “memory loss” is typically used to mean forgetting things to the point where it interferes with daily life. In this use of the phrase, the “things” forgotten could be words, how to get home or how to balance your checkbook. In this context, memory loss may also mean a worsening in mental functions other than memory, such as judgment and reasoning.
Any discussion of memory loss is complex, for several reasons:
*Everyone has some memory loss
*Memory loss can range from mild to severe
*Experts don’t agree on how to categorize memory loss
*Different types of memory can be affected
*Memory loss can be caused by different diseases and conditions.
Here are some of the ways doctors and scientists categorize memory loss:
*Age-Related Memory Loss
*Mild Cognitive Impairment
*Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias
Learn More:
Tangled Neuron Posts:
Symptoms, Testing and Diagnosis
What Causes Memory Loss?
Treatments for Memory Loss
Other Resources:
Discussion of different types of memory on the U.S. National Institute of Aging’s site [scroll down]
Alzheimer’s Association’s discussion of what’s normal, what’s not
Summary of a study that discusses the lack of agreement on how to categorize Mild Cognitive Impairment and related types of memory loss
