Memory lapse

Do we get “absent-minded” as we get older?

Older folk often struggle to recall a word that’s on the tip of their tongue.  Over half of seniors have this common type of memory lapse.

In a fascinating study at the University of Michigan, research findings help brain-training programs which target memory problems that older people experience in daily life, instead of what happens in an experimental laboratory.

The research identified which errors still occurred despite changes people might be making in their environment and routine. It might be more important to help the particular person change themselves.

Mind you, occasionally forgetting a name or word doesn’t mean than an older person is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia.

After all, we all forget sometimes!

(Ageing, Neuropsycholohy and Cognition June 2012)

• Page
• 1