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Sunday, November 30, 2014

Memory Lapses That Are Normal - Mary A. Fischer is an award-winning journalist and contributing editor to AARP The Magazine.

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Brain freezes happen to most of us, to different degrees, as we age.?..... If your lapses aren't disrupting your life, there's no need to be actively worried, experts say.
Your lapses may well have very treatable causes. Severe stress, depression, a vitamin B12 deficiency, insufficient sleep, some prescription drugs and infections can all play a role.

Types of normal memory lapses that are not signs of dementia.
1. Absentmindedness
Focus on what you're doing or thinking in any given moment, and you'll head off a lot of these lapses. If you find yourself in the middle of one, retracing your steps, mentally or actually, can help.

2. Blocking
You know the word you're trying to say, but you can't quite retrieve it from memory. It usually happens when several similar memories interfere with each other.
If you find yourself stuck in the moment, try to remember other details about the event, name or place, which often will trigger the memory you are searching for.

4. Fade Out
The brain is always sweeping out older memories to make room for new ones. The more time that passes between an experience and when you want to recall it, the more likely you are to have forgotten much of it.
Events we discuss, ponder over, record or rehearse are recalled in the most detail and for longest periods of time. So one of the best ways to remember events and experiences — whether everyday or life changing — is to talk or think about them.
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