With a marvelous capacity to hold a lifetime of information, the brain, has an indubitably large multitasking role. Memory is something that most enjoy as an automatic occurrence of life yet those suffering from the subtle or greater signs of memory loss know that it is a cherished brain function to maintain within all feasible control. Common memory loss causes include the slow decline associated with aging, nutrient deficiencies, underlying medical conditions directly or indirectly affecting the brain and infection. Memory loss can occur as an acute or chronic condition depending upon the cause, course and treatment implemented. (http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/content/125/10/2152.full)
Memory Basics
Different regions of the brain are activated as sensory information, which acts as the conduit from the outside world, is absorbed from the environment. The pre-frontal lobe, in the front portion of the skull, is highly active. It virtually acts as the initial information filtering point, taking in all the data gathered with the senses of the eyes, ears, nose and touch. The hippocampus region of the brain, located deep within the primal cortex of the folds of the temporal lobe, serves to transfer and store data from short-term access to long-term memory.
Memory Storage
Committing information to memory, recall, perception and even information regurgitation involves complex networks of the brain working in unison yet these networks can fail. The minor glitches for memory loss happen from time to time when too much information streams at once and the brain is unable to untangle the data quick enough. Item misplacement or getting known facts misconstrued occurs for many and typically these instances are not cause for significant concern because it does not disturb the overall quality of life.
Reversible Causes
Reversible forms of memory loss include those related to medications, mental health disorders, some tumors and nutrient deficiency. Forgetfulness and confusion associated as a side effect of one or a combination of medications typically subsides with cessation of the substance.
Stress, prolonged depression, panic attacks or chronic anxiety also contribute to acute memory loss causes. Mental health complications are generally treated with psychiatric interventions that might include medications and counseling. As symptoms reduce, memory functions tend to return.
Memory loss of a medical nature that is reversible includes those occurring from minor injury to the head, such as a fall that leads to temporary confusion, or a tumor in the brain. Head trauma with loss of consciousness could lead to more serious chronic memory loss symptoms with a less favorable prognosis. Additionally, inoperable or untreatable tumors result in more serious memory impairment.
Nutrient deficiency related to memory loss can result from chronic alcoholism or low vitamin B-12 levels. Thiamine, or vitamin B-1, is essential to all cells of the body, particularly in the brain. Conditions like alcoholism prevent the body from properly absorbing thiamine, ultimately prohibiting the brain from getting enough to maintain normal memory functions. Cessation of alcohol and a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of thiamine-rich foods can restore memory processes if deficiency has not progressed into the serious neurological condition, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh27-2/134-142.htm)
Vitamin B-12 deficiency results in memory loss related to high-risk adults in the elderly population. Elderly individuals experiencing impaired digestive functions do not absorb vitamin B-12 as readily as younger counterparts. The result of chronic low vitamin B-12 levels is memory loss. However, this is reversible with daily supplemental intake of the vitamin along with a healthy diet.
Additional nutrients that might lead to memory loss, if deficient, include low niacin and vitamin B-6. Both vitamins act as catalysts in the formation of the neurochemical serotonin, which is involved in memory functions such as learning new information. Vitamins C and E, two antioxidants that protect neuron cells and the immune system, also play a role in maintaining memory functions with age. A healthy and well-balanced diet can reduce the risk of memory loss in an otherwise healthy individual.
Irreversible Memory Loss
Memory loss causes associated with dementia-type symptoms include Alzheimer’s disease, neurodegenerative illness such as Parkinson’s and terminal infections that affect the brain such as HIV/AIDS. The term dementia denotes a set of symptoms including memory impairment but also refers to alterations in other cognitive skills.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s dementia is one of the most devastating memory loss causes and is without cure. Nearly 80 percent of individuals with this disease suffer from significant memory loss that inevitably worsens over time. Initially short-term memory falters prohibiting the hippocampus from consolidating information into explicit memory for long-term storage. Eventually the smallest bits of information get lost and the person suffering with the disease cannot access any retrievable memory in the simplest or most complex form.
Damaged nerve cells of the brain result in Alzheimer’s disease. Research indicates that deposits of protein fragments, or beta-amyloid, consumes the space between nerve cells and then tangles, or twisted fibrous proteins called tau, infiltrate the inside of the cells. Plaques and tangles develop at a rapid rate in those with the disease, often beginning in the brain regions responsible for memory functions. (http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp#tangles)
Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease is a disorder of the central nervous system that causes significant impairment in movement and coordination but also leads to cognitive deficits including memory loss. As a progressive disease, Parkinson’s worsens over time although the exact cause of the illness is unknown. Research is clear that the brain chemical dopamine, which plays a role in motor functions, thinking skills and mood, is significantly impaired in those with the disease. Memory loss causes associated with Parkinson’s disease tend to be most prominent in the advanced stages. (http://www.pdf.org/en/progression_parkinsons_)
Infection Related Memory Loss
Similar to Parkinson’s disease, memory loss causes from terminal infections like HIV/AIDS can occur as residual effect. Essentially, as the infection progresses different brain centers accrue damage to the cells. In many, the loss of memory occurs at the later stages of the disease, unlike the course of loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15579274)
Conclusion
Memory loss causes vary in a lifetime, from simple forgetfulness due to stress or extreme retrograde amnesia associated with disease. Although mild impairment is generally reversible once the cause is identified it can still be a frightening and uncertain experience to endure. In the event of significant disruptions in memory a physical health exam can help determine if the symptoms are associated with a treatable condition or signs of an ongoing problem.