Everyday lapses in memory, like misplacing keys or forgetting names, are often mistakenly seen as early indicators of dementia. However, neuroscience experts suggest that early cognitive changes might be reversible if addressed promptly.
Dr. Tommy Wood, a professor of pediatrics and neuroscience at the University of Washington, emphasizes that minor forgetfulness is generally caused by fatigue or stress. According to Wood, it’s not usually the onset of a neurodegenerative disease.
“For most people, it’s just because you’re stressed or you’re tired and weren’t paying attention,” Wood shared during a conversation with Fox News Digital at Strong New York, the largest annual fitness and wellness festival in the city.
How Memory Works
Dr. Wood explains that memory formation involves three stages: encoding (forming a memory), consolidation (storing the memory), and retrieval (accessing it later). He notes that cognitive changes linked to aging are not unavoidable. Proactively adopting lifestyle measures early can help sustain or even enhance brain function.
When under stress or deprived of sleep, retrieval becomes difficult—the memory is present in the brain, but accessing it at that moment becomes a challenge. In contrast, neurodegenerative conditions often prevent the memory from being encoded in the first place.
“They don’t even remember or notice that there’s something going on,” Wood remarked. “If you’re noticing something’s not quite right, that’s usually a good sign.”
Preventable Risk Factors
Dementia is clinically defined as the loss of cognitive function, severe enough to hinder an individual’s ability to manage daily tasks independently. Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia make up 70% to 90% of dementia cases, with many people showing signs of both.
Research suggests that at least half of dementia cases can be prevented by modifying lifestyle and health risk factors. True memory issues arise from failing to encode new memories, while stress-related forgetfulness pertains to retrieving existing ones.
Key preventable risk factors include:
- Heart and metabolic health problems
- Hearing and vision loss
Wood stressed that addressing physical health issues, such as obtaining hearing aids or cataract surgery, directly reduces the risk of cognitive decline.
“If you expect decline, you won’t do the things that will prevent decline from happening,” he told Fox News Digital. “Believing that it’s possible means you’ll engage in processes that can prevent much of this decline.”
Treatable Conditions Mimicking Dementia
Wood’s focus aligns with guidance from Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic, stating several treatable medical conditions can mimic early dementia symptoms or contribute to subjective cognitive decline. Common reversible causes include:
- Vitamin deficiencies: Low levels of vitamin B12 or B1 crucial for nerve and brain function
- Endocrine disruption: Thyroid issues, particularly hypothyroidism, affecting brain metabolism
- Medication side effects: Interactions from sedative medications or anticholinergics
- Mental health conditions: Depression and severe anxiety causing “pseudodementia”
Managing physical health issues, like controlling high blood pressure, and treating vision or hearing loss, can directly lessen risks of cognitive decline.
Cleveland Clinic suggests early clinical intervention is crucial when noticing changes in “brain fog” or executive function. Wood provides a perspective on brain functionality:
“How your brain functions on a day-to-day basis is kind of the output of everything your brain is dealing with,” he said. “But if you start to notice something, there’s still time to make some changes if you need to.”
Khloe Quill is a lifestyle writer with Fox News Digital, covering topics such as food, travel, and health.