Should YOU be worried about your memory? From forgetting where the car's parked to not remembering names, we reveal the warning signs of dementia... 

  • Study: Women with memory problems 70% more likely to develop dementia
  • Experts: Forgetfulness could be normal or due to stress or depression
  • Forgetting a name is normal as the short term memory is easily distracted
  • Feeling disorientated or not recognising a friend is when you should worry 

By Anna Hodgekiss for MailOnline and Madlen Davies for MailOnline

Published: 04:52 EST, 29 October 2015 | Updated: 08:13 EST, 29 October 2015

Women who reported problems with their memory were 70 per cent more likely to be later diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or dementia

Women who reported problems with their memory were 70 per cent more likely to be later diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or dementia

Do you often misplace your keys? Forget why you came into the kitchen?

Yesterday, a study revealed memory problems may signal the early stages of dementia.

Women who reported problems with their memory were 70 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or dementia decades later.

The memory complaints were enough to be noticeable to the women - but not significant enough to show up on a standard test.

The University of California researchers said other factors such as education, depression, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and heart disease had been taken into account during the study. 

Commenting on the research, which was published in the journal Neurology, the Alzheimer's Society said it could give a 'better insight' into identifying who will go on to develop the disease.

But when is forgetting a name a normal part of life, and when is it a sign of something more sinister? 

Here, experts reveal when to simply write yourself a post-it note, and when to seek medical help...

NORMAL MEMORY PROBLEMS 

  • Forgetting what you went upstairs for. 
  • Taking several minutes to recall where the car is parked. 
  • Forgetting to call a friend back while working from home with misbehaving children. 
  • Putting things down and being unable to find them soon after. 
  • Forgetting something trivial a friend mentioned the day before. 
  • Forgetting the name of someone you've just met. 
  • Briefly forgetting the word for something — the 'thingamabob' moment.
Memory problems such as forgetting your keys are normal and occur because short-term memory is easily distracted and the brain has to decide whether new information is worth remembering

Memory problems such as forgetting your keys are normal and occur because short-term memory is easily distracted and the brain has to decide whether new information is worth remembering

WHY THIS MIGHT BE HAPPENING

'Our immediate short-term memory is very easily distractible,' says Dr Oliver Cockerell, a consultant neurologist at The London Clinic.

'Your brain knows you're unlikely to need to remember a menial task such as going upstairs to get a book in a few hours, so it erases the memory to make room for more important stuff.

'That's why we all sometimes can't remember why we walked into a room.'

So why do we forget trivial information? Dr Marie Janson, director of development at Alzheimer's Research UK, explains: 'The brain has to decide whether new information is worth remembering — if so, it'll put it in your long-term memory; if not, it's deleted.'

Stress, grief and lack of sleep can also affect memory, as can trying to do too many things at once.

Stress, grief and lack of sleep can also affect memory, as can doing too many things at once

Stress, grief and lack of sleep can also affect memory, as can doing too many things at once

SLIGHTLY WORRYING

  • Multi-tasking becomes difficult — a good cook suddenly finds preparing a Sunday roast overwhelming. 
  • Problems negotiating familiar places, such as you regularly can't find your vehicle in the car park. 
  • Forgetting the names of close relatives and friends. 
  • Problems recognising faces, colours, shapes and words. 
  • Repeating the same question asked half an hour previously. 
  • Changing personality, such as a social butterfly who turns reclusive. 
  • Finding that you've left objects in the wrong place, such as keys left in the lock, and not remembering leaving them there.

WHY THIS MIGHT BE HAPPENING

Many of these symptoms could actually be a sign of depression, stress or a lack of concentration.

However, they may be early warning signs of dementia or Alzheimer's.

'There is a type of Alzheimer's where memory is unaffected, but the part of the brain responsible for visual processing is damaged,' adds Dr Anne Corbett of the Alzheimer's Society.

'The patients I see with dementia are those brought in by their worried families who can see something is wrong', adds neurologist Dr Cockerell.

'Huge numbers come in because they can't remember people's names.

'The bottom line is, if you're aware of your memory problems, you're unlikely to have dementia.' 

A more worrying memory problem is if multi-tasking becomes difficult — for example a good cook suddenly finds preparing a Sunday roast overwhelming (file photo)

A more worrying memory problem is if multi-tasking becomes difficult — for example a good cook suddenly finds preparing a Sunday roast overwhelming (file photo)

SEE YOUR GP 

  • Asking for a cup of tea, not realising you've just had one. 
  • Forgetting a grandchild's name, but childhood memories are vivid. 
  • No idea how to perform everyday tasks, such as washing. 
  • Finding family structure confusing, such as not being clear which grandchild belongs to whom. 
  • Impaired judgement, e.g. wearing a thick overcoat in summer. 
  • Being unable to tell what the purpose of an everyday object is. 
  • Not recognising friends and family. 
  • Leaving belongings in strange places, e.g. a kettle under the bed or a wallet in the fridge.
  • Feeling disorientated about time and place — frequently visited places are unfamiliar.

WHY THIS MIGHT BE HAPPENING

Alzheimer's affects the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for short-term memory. Long-term memory is usually unaffected.

'People with Alzheimer's can't convert short-term memories into long-term ones, so these die,' says Dr Corbett. 

Not recognising friends and family could be sign of dementia, as the disease affects the hippocampus - the part of the brain for short-term memory (file photo)

Not recognising friends and family could be sign of dementia, as the disease affects the hippocampus - the part of the brain for short-term memory (file photo)

 

Comments (53)

Share what you think

 View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

 View all

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Add your comment

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now