Forgetting names and losing keys may signal something other than dementia

Everyday memory lapses, like misplaced keys or forgotten names, are often overinterpreted as early signs of dementia, but neuroscience experts say actual early cognitive changes may be reversible if addressed promptly.

Dr. Tommy Wood, a professor of pediatrics and neuroscience at the University of Washington, said minor forgetfulness is often caused by fatigue or stress rather than the beginnings of a neurodegenerative disease.

"For most people, it's just because you're stressed or you're tired and weren't paying attention," Wood told Fox News Digital at Strong New York, the city's largest annual fitness and wellness festival.

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"If you want to remember something ... you need to actually be focused, be paying attention. You need to tell your brain it's important to remember it."

Understanding memory loss

Wood said memory formation works in three stages: encoding (forming a memory), consolidation (storing it) and retrieval (accessing it).

Cognitive changes during aging are not inevitable, and taking proactive lifestyle steps early can help maintain or even restore brain function. (iStock)

When someone is stressed or sleep-deprived, the issue is typically retrieval, he said — the memory exists in the brain, but the individual struggles to access it in the moment.

In contrast, people experiencing a neurodegenerative disease often fail to encode the memory in the first place.

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"They don't even remember or notice that there's something going on," Wood said. "If you're noticing something's not quite right, that's usually a good sign."

Preventable risk factors and reversibility

Dementia is clinically defined as the loss of cognitive function that's severe enough to impair an individual's ability to manage daily life independently. Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia account for 70% to 90% of cases, with many individuals showing signs of both.

Research indicates that at least 50% of dementia cases can be prevented by modifying lifestyle and health risk factors.

True memory problems stem from a failure to encode new memories in the brain, whereas stress-related forgetfulness is merely an issue with retrieving existing memories. (iStock)

Key preventable risk factors include heart and metabolic health problems, as well as hearing and vision loss.

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Wood emphasized that addressing physical health issues — such as obtaining hearing aids or undergoing cataract surgery — directly lessens cognitive decline risk.

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"If you expect decline, you won't do the things that will prevent decline from happening," Wood told Fox News Digital. "Believing that it's possible means you'll actually engage in these processes, and then through that, you can prevent a lot of this decline."

Minor memory lapses, like forgetting keys or names, are usually caused by stress or fatigue rather than early dementia, the expert said. (iStock)

Wood's focus on reversible causes of cognitive symptoms aligns with guidance from Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic, which note that several treatable medical conditions can mimic early dementia symptoms or contribute to subjective cognitive decline.

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Common reversible causes include the following.

• Vitamin deficiencies: Low levels of vitamin B12 or B1, which are essential for nerve and brain function
• Endocrine disruption: Thyroid problems, particularly hypothyroidism, which slows brain metabolism
• Medication side effects: Interactions from sedative drugs, anticholinergics or polypharmacy in older adults
• Mental health conditions: Depression and severe anxiety, which can cause "pseudodementia," a state of cognitive slowing and memory lapse that resolves with mental health treatment
• Metabolic and kidney issues: Chronic kidney or liver failure, as well as electrolyte imbalances, which alter levels of brain chemicals

Managing physical health issues — such as controlling high blood pressure, treating vision or hearing loss and staying physically active — directly reduces cognitive decline risks. (iStock)

Cleveland Clinic highlights that early clinical intervention is critical when individuals notice changes in "brain fog" or executive function.

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"How your brain functions on a day-to-day basis is kind of the output of everything your brain is dealing with," said Wood. "But if you start to notice something, there's still time to make some changes if you need to."