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Who hasn’t struggled occasionally to come up with a desired word or the name of someone near and dear? I was still in my 40s when one day the first name of my stepmother of 30-odd years suddenly escaped me. I had to introduce her to a friend as “Mrs. Brody.”
But for millions of Americans with a neurological condition called mild cognitive impairment, lapses in word-finding and name recall are often common, along with other challenges like remembering appointments, difficulty paying bills or losing one’s train of thought in the middle of a conversation.
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This article discusses cognitive impairments, Alzheimer's Disease and other forms of dementia that plague us as we grow older. We are told:
Distinguishing mild cognitive impairment from the effects of normal aging can be challenging. Typically, new patients take a short test of mental status, provide a thorough medical history and are checked for conditions that may be reversible causes of impaired cognition. Problems like depression, medication side effects, vitamin B12 deficiency or an underactive thyroid can mimic the symptoms of mild cognitive impairment.
Experts also suggest several approaches that may slow the decline in cognitive function.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/06/he...rody.html?_r=1
An interesting article with a sense of foreboding.