Boomers' Senior Moments

A "senior moment" is an unscientific term for a variety of mental glitches.  Most common is the temporary inability to recall a name or a number or what you were about to do.

"We think the vast majority of these are probably benign, but many cases of Alzheimer's do start out as 'senior moments,'" says P. Murali Doraiswamy, chief of Biological Psychiatry at Duke University Medical School and co-author of "The Alzheimer's Action Plan," a new book for people who are worried.

Paying attention is critical to laying down memories, which scientists now think are distributed all around the brain.  Repetition also helps reinforce abstract things like names or numbers, as does a mnemonic association, like noting that Jane is far from plain.  Such tricks are often automatic for people who pride themselves on remembering names.  It's just as important to forget extraneous things and minimize mental clutter.

When should you be concerned about memory lapses?

In Alzheimer's, people often retain obscure old memories, but have trouble recalling recent events and conversations.  Or they may forget the names of simple things.  "If a person can't find their car in a six-floor garage at the airport because they forgot to look at the number, that's probably just a senior moment," says Dr. Doraiswamy.  "But if they can't remember the color or make of the car they've been driving for years," that could be more serious. 

If it is Alzheimer's, getting help early may be able to reduce symptoms and slow the progress of the disease.

Source: Health Journal, The Wall Street Journal, May 27, 2008