It happens. You\u2019re mid-sentence when you realize you totally forgot what you\u2019re saying, or you\u2019re driving to work\u2014on a route you\u2019ve traveled 100 times\u2014but you take a wrong turn.<\/p>\n
The truth is that occasional forgetfulness, wrong turns, mind farts\u2014whatever you want to call them\u2014are a part of life, but that doesn\u2019t make them any less unsettling, especially as you, or someone you love, gets older.<\/p>\n
Dementia<\/a> affects more than 6 million Americans<\/a> and U.S. cases are expected to double by 2060<\/a>, so it\u2019s worth knowing when to take a symptom<\/a> seriously. When it comes to brain health<\/a>, knowing and understanding the signs of a potential problem can be a huge asset because acting at the earliest signs of cognitive changes can make a big difference. And, even if you\u2019re not experiencing any decline, you can act now to reduce your risk. Up to 45 percent of dementia risk is modifiable, according to research in The Lancet<\/a>. \u201cAnyone with a brain should be looking out for their brain health, from kids to elders,\u201d says Georgina Aldridge, MD, a neurologist at University of Iowa Health Care.<\/p>\n Part of being proactive involves knowing which signs and symptoms to take seriously. The main symptom people associate with declining brain health is forgetfulness, especially during older age, but it\u2019s far from the only indication that something could be off. Many common symptoms fall into one of the following categories, per Dr. Aldridge: short-term memory, language, visual-spatial, executive (thinking, planning, solving problems), and behavioral. That said, everyone is different, and a person may experience any combination of symptoms depending on their condition and stage of life.<\/p>\n Ahead, doctors share the specific symptoms they wouldn\u2019t ignore.<\/p>\n Meet the experts:<\/strong> Georgina Aldridge<\/a>, MD, is a neurologist at University of Iowa Health Care. Armen Moughamian<\/a>, MD, is the medical director of the Ray Dolby Brain Health Center at Sutter\u2019s California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC). Shae Datta<\/a>, MD, is a neurologist at NYU Langone.<\/p>\n 6 Symptoms Brain Doctors Wouldn\u2019t Ignore<\/strong>1. Forgetfulness and short-term memory problems.<\/strong><\/p>\n The most widely-known signs of declining brain health<\/a> are forgetfulness and\/or having issues with short-term memory (your brain\u2019s ability to hold limited information for a few seconds to hours). But it\u2019s important to state upfront that memory issues in middle-aged adults could be due to any number of causes unrelated to dementia, Dr. Aldridge says, which is all the more reason to start a conversation with your doctor. \u201cThe person may have undiagnosed sleep apnea<\/a>, which means they aren\u2019t getting the good sleep that is necessary to form memories,\u201d she says. \u201cThe person could also have a deficiency in a vitamin, such as B12<\/a>, that is necessary for the cells and nerves to function correctly.\u201d<\/p>\n General forgetfulness can start in a person\u2019s mid-50s or 60s, but it\u2019s particularly important to look out for progressive changes in adults over 65 since the risk of a neurodegenerative brain disease like Alzheimer\u2019s rises significantly with age, says Armen Moughamian, MD, the medical director of the Ray Dolby Brain Health Center at Sutter\u2019s California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC).<\/p>\n Forgetting recent conversations or events can be a warning sign of mild cognitive impairment that may progress to dementia and\/or Alzheimer\u2019s disease, says Dr. Moughamian. Sometimes this symptom is subtle: \u201cFamilies might think their loved one just \u2018wasn\u2019t listening\u2019 or \u2018isn\u2019t paying attention,\u2019\u201d Dr. Moughamian says. One way to tell if there may be something more serious going on is to take note of the consistency and frequency of these episodes. If it\u2019s happening repeatedly, it\u2019s worth having a conversation with a doctor, Dr. Moughamian says.<\/p>\n 2. Irregular sleep patterns or poor sleep quality.<\/strong><\/p>\n If it wasn\u2019t clear already, practicing good sleep hygiene<\/a> is the key to better health all-around, and that includes your brain. (In fact, lack of sleep in middle age may increase dementia risk, per the National Institutes of Health<\/a>.)<\/p>\n If you notice that you haven\u2019t been resting well lately, it doesn\u2019t necessarily mean it\u2019s due to a brain disorder, but it\u2019s worth getting to the bottom of. Feeling sleepy and excessive napping during the day could serve as an early marker of dementia, particularly for women in their 80s, per a 2025 study in the journal Neurology<\/a>.<\/p>\n Even if you\u2019re not concerned about dementia or Alzheimer\u2019s, sleep influences brain health and vice versa, so to help your body function optimally, try to get your Zzzs in. \u201cI often remind patients that sleep is one of the most effective ways to protect the brain,\u201d says Shae Datta, MD, is a neurologist at NYU Langone. \u201cSleep is when the brain clears waste products<\/a> and consolidates memories. When sleep quality declines, it can affect cognitive performance and long-term brain health<\/a>,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Just remember: Everyone\u2019s sleep needs are different, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a> (CDC) recommends that most adults get between seven to nine hours per night.<\/p>\n 3. Mood, personality, or behavior changes.<\/strong><\/p>\n Changes in mood, personality, and behavior can all be signs of dementia or Alzheimer\u2019s. Behavior change is broad, but it can often look like someone feeling suspicious of or threatened by others for little or no reason, showing unusual sexual behavior, becoming physically violent (like hitting someone else), and more, per the National Institute on Aging<\/a>. It can also look like a social faux pas like talking excessively to strangers, Dr. Aldridge says.<\/p>\n \u201cNew-onset anxiety, depression, or irritability in your 60s can be an early and often overlooked sign of Alzheimer\u2019s disease,\u201d Dr. Moughamian says. \u201cThese mood changes frequently appear before any memory problems, signaling that something deeper may be happening in the brain.\u201d<\/p>\n Sometimes, personality changes can suggest a specific condition called frontotemporal dementia<\/a> (FTD), Dr. Aldridge adds. FTD is one of the most common types of dementia that affect younger and middle-aged adults. Symptoms usually start between the ages of 40 and 65, but it can strike younger and older adults as well, and it affects women and men equally, per Johns Hopkins Medicine<\/a>. <\/strong><\/p>\n 4. Struggling with language or trouble finding the right words.<\/strong><\/p>\n Have you ever had the feeling that a word is \u201cright on the tip of your tongue?\u201d We\u2019ve all been there, but experiencing new or worsening issues with language (past the occasional slip-up) can signal potential problems in the brain, Dr. Datta says. In cases of Alzheimer\u2019s and dementia, this can look like having difficulty understanding complex sentences, dropping connecting words, struggling to name a familiar object, and more, experts say.<\/p>\n Trouble finding everyday words mid-sentence or frequently \u201chitting a wall\u201d in conversation is also potentially concerning and may point to early Alzheimer\u2019s or another neurological condition, Dr. Moughamian says.<\/p>\n 5. Difficulty with everyday household skills and tasks.<\/strong><\/p>\n Some of the most common symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer\u2019s that people experience have to do with the executive function<\/a> side of brain health, Dr. Aldridge says\u2014basically, how you manage everyday tasks like making plans, solving problems, and making decisions. If you consistently have trouble with any of those things and didn\u2019t necessarily struggle with them before, it could be a sign of dementia, Dr. Moughamian says.<\/p>\n \u201cIf someone stops cooking, stops managing medications, or misses paying bills, this is concerning,\u201d he says. \u201cPeople typically don\u2019t just stop doing things, and often these changes are changes that are associated with dementia.\u201d<\/p>\n 6. Changes in visual-spatial awareness.<\/strong><\/p>\n People with emerging brain health issues might encounter trouble with visual-spatial awareness, which is your brain\u2019s ability to understand what you see and interpret the relationship between objects in space. Conditions like dementia can affect your vision<\/a>, so if you have trouble with something like depth perception\u2014signing too high up on a check or not being able to find objects among clutter\u2014 it could be an early sign of Alzheimer\u2019s<\/a> or certain types of dementia, Dr. Aldridge says.<\/p>\n If a person starts experiencing visual hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren\u2019t there), it could be a sign of Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), a complex disorder involving abnormal deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain, per the National Institute on Aging<\/a>. These deposits, called \u201cLewy bodies,\u201d affect chemicals in the brain, which can lead to changes in thinking and behavior. As a result, a person might experience visual hallucinations that are vivid and even scary in nature. (If the hallucinations are severe, doctors can prescribe medication, per the National Institute on Aging<\/a>). If you\u2019re experiencing hallucinations, you should definitely see a doctor.<\/p>\n If you or someone you love are experiencing any of the above symptoms, it may be a good time to see a doctor. Although some cognitive changes come naturally with age, things could progress from mild cognitive impairment to something more serious\u2014so, better to be proactive and see a neurologist who can help you navigate what comes next.<\/p>\n You Might Also Like<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It happens. 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