If you have ever had a name on the tip of your tongue and not been able to retrieve it, you may worry that your memory is going bad. Not necessarily so, say investigators at the University of Virginia. They tested more that 700 adults between 18 and 99 years old. Even youngsters have those momentary lapses, although 20 year olds rack up fewer than 80 year olds do. These tip-of-the-tongue experiences are frustrating, but they do not seem to be linked to the development of dementia.
[Psychological Science, online October 8, 2013]
The best advice for staying sharp as the years pass seems to be to eat a diet with lots of vegetables, fruits, nuts and whole grains; and to stay physically active. Medications are, unfortunately, more likely to harm cognition than to help. You can learn more about the drugs that can cause confusion and forgetfulness in our Guide to Drugs and Older People.
