The guide to
Is it normal aging or something more serious?
Brain aging
Early symptoms of cognitive decline
Protecting your brain
narration
The brain and aging
Occasional forgetfulness is part of getting older, but more serious memory problems could signal brain changes related to disease. So, what does "normal aging" look like?
A neurobiologist's perspective
In Alzheimer’s disease, we see tremendous changes in a part of the brain called the temporal lobe, where we see a lot of atrophy and a lot of shrinking. We also see this in the hippocampus, which is a structure in the brain that’s responsible for and involved in memory formation. So, there are patterns in the aging brain that can tell us a lot about the type of disease processes. This is something that we’ve been trying to leverage as we develop our approach to estimate brain age.
Dr. Andrei Irimia
Read more
Biogerontologist, neurobiologist and assistant professor at USC
narration
Factors that can contribute to brain aging
Understanding the multiple factors that influence brain aging can help us take proactive steps to maintain cognitive health throughout our lives.
Exercise
Diet
Sleep
Stress
Socialization & loneliness
Alcohol & drug use
narration
Read more at beingpatient.com
Early signs of cognitive decline to look for
A doctor's perspective
"[There are] three main warning signs for primary care providers. These are: losing short-term memory, such as asking the same question repeatedly within a short time; having difficulty completing complex tasks, like following a recipe; and becoming disoriented in familiar places, such as getting lost on a route you’ve taken many times. If these signs are present, they should prompt a cognitive evaluation."
Dr. Barak Gaster
Cognition in Primary Care Director, University of Washington
Read more
narration
Possible root causes of cognitive symptoms
If your memory or other cognitive functions are impaired, a specialist might diagnose you with mild cognitive impairment, or MCI. Sometimes, this is caused by a disease like Alzheimer's or another form of dementia. But often, its root cause may be treatable—making these cognitive issues reversible. That's why it's so important to talk to a doctor if you're concerned.
Depression & anxiety
Metabolism & cardiovascular issues
Sleep deprivation
Chronic pain
Hormonal changes
Traumatic brain injury
narration
Read more at beingpatient.com
Should you get a baseline assessment?
A doctor's perspective
"[With] a gradually getting older person, where exactly do you establish that baseline? ... Your best baseline is actually your social network. So the person who knows you best is probably the most important person in terms of, 'Are you different than you were a year ago? Are there things that you could do a year ago that you can't do now.' You can do elaborate neuropsychological testing and none of it is as effective as just asking someone who really knows the person."
Dr. Bill Burke
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW
Geriatrician and psychiatrist
narration
Why are Black and Hispanic Americans at higher risk of developing cognitive decline?
Black Americans are
Hispanic Americans are
2x
1.5x
as likely to develop Alzheimer's than white Americans.
as likely as white Americans to develop Alzheimer's disease.
See the factors that experts believe contribute to the disproportionate dementia risk in Black Americans.
"Despite Higher Risk, Latin Americans Are Left Out of Alzheimer’s Studies. Here’s Why"
READ MORE
READ MORE
narration
Hear about early signs from people living with cognitive decline: What’s normal, what’s not?
narration
Interactive quiz: What’s normal, what’s not?
Question 1/6
narration
Interactive quiz: What’s normal, what’s not?
Question 2/6
narration
Interactive quiz: What’s normal, what’s not?
Question 3/6
narration
Interactive quiz: What’s normal, what’s not?
Question 4/6
narration
Interactive quiz: What’s normal, what’s not?
Question 5/6
narration
Interactive quiz: What’s normal, what’s not?
Question 6/6
narration
Interactive quiz: What’s normal, what’s not?
NORMAL
1. You forgot where you put your keys but remember later.
NOT NORMAL
2. You forgot how to use your microwave after years of using it.
NORMAL
3. You occasionally forget a word but recall it later.
NOT NORMAL
4. You forget familliar names and struggle to recognize loved ones.
NORMAL
5. You forget an item on your to-do list.
NOT NORMAL
6. You get lost driving somewhere you've driven 100 times.
narration
Read more at beingpatient.com
How to spot and prevent memory loss
Neuroscientist and author Lisa Genova demystifies memory in her book Remember, offering clarity on normal forgetting versus dementia warning signs — plus science-backed strategies to strengthen memory.
A neuroscientist's perspective
"Our processing speeds slow as we age. That's normal. So we're always like, 'Oh, what's the name of that actor? What's the name of that show? What's the name of that city?' Normal. If you have Alzheimer's, you're going to have a hard time with regular common nouns, dozens of times a day... know that Alzheimer's is terrifying, but normal forgetting shouldn't be."
Lisa Genova
Read more
Neuroscientist and author of Remember
narration
When to be concerned: Warning signs
Some memory problems go beyond normal aging. Here are key early signs:
Getting lost in familiar areas and difficulty driving.
Family expresses concern about your behavioral changes.
Frequent confusion with time or place.
Repeating the same questions over and over.
Changes in mood, personality, or judgment.
Difficulty following conversations.
narration
How to protect brain health
Even low-impact exercise like walking — boosts brain function.
Move your body
Learn a new language or musical instrument to increase neuroplasticity.
Flex your brain
A fiber- and omega-3 rich diet promotes gut and brain health.
Eat brain-healthy foods
Deep sleep clears harmful brain proteins, like the build up of tau.
Prioritize sleep
Prioritize social connection to reduce cognitive decline risk and loneliness.
Stay social
narration
Read more at beingpatient.com
What to do if you're concerned
If cognitive issues are affecting your day-to-day life, don’t wait.
- Know your familial risk. Get up to speed on your family’s history with cognitive decline.
- Keep a journal of your symptoms and concerns.
- Talk to a doctor about cognitive testing.
- Advocate for yourself. Continue to push for testing and care until you receive an accurate diagnosis.
narration
Want to keep learning?
Visit
beingpatient.com
for the latest news and information on brain health and Alzheimer's disease
narration
narration
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Transcript
The guide to
Is it normal aging or something more serious?
Brain aging
Early symptoms of cognitive decline
Protecting your brain
narration
The brain and aging
Occasional forgetfulness is part of getting older, but more serious memory problems could signal brain changes related to disease. So, what does "normal aging" look like?
A neurobiologist's perspective
In Alzheimer’s disease, we see tremendous changes in a part of the brain called the temporal lobe, where we see a lot of atrophy and a lot of shrinking. We also see this in the hippocampus, which is a structure in the brain that’s responsible for and involved in memory formation. So, there are patterns in the aging brain that can tell us a lot about the type of disease processes. This is something that we’ve been trying to leverage as we develop our approach to estimate brain age.
Dr. Andrei Irimia
Read more
Biogerontologist, neurobiologist and assistant professor at USC
narration
Factors that can contribute to brain aging
Understanding the multiple factors that influence brain aging can help us take proactive steps to maintain cognitive health throughout our lives.
Exercise
Diet
Sleep
Stress
Socialization & loneliness
Alcohol & drug use
narration
Read more at beingpatient.com
Early signs of cognitive decline to look for
A doctor's perspective
"[There are] three main warning signs for primary care providers. These are: losing short-term memory, such as asking the same question repeatedly within a short time; having difficulty completing complex tasks, like following a recipe; and becoming disoriented in familiar places, such as getting lost on a route you’ve taken many times. If these signs are present, they should prompt a cognitive evaluation."
Dr. Barak Gaster
Cognition in Primary Care Director, University of Washington
Read more
narration
Possible root causes of cognitive symptoms
If your memory or other cognitive functions are impaired, a specialist might diagnose you with mild cognitive impairment, or MCI. Sometimes, this is caused by a disease like Alzheimer's or another form of dementia. But often, its root cause may be treatable—making these cognitive issues reversible. That's why it's so important to talk to a doctor if you're concerned.
Depression & anxiety
Metabolism & cardiovascular issues
Sleep deprivation
Chronic pain
Hormonal changes
Traumatic brain injury
narration
Read more at beingpatient.com
Should you get a baseline assessment?
A doctor's perspective
"[With] a gradually getting older person, where exactly do you establish that baseline? ... Your best baseline is actually your social network. So the person who knows you best is probably the most important person in terms of, 'Are you different than you were a year ago? Are there things that you could do a year ago that you can't do now.' You can do elaborate neuropsychological testing and none of it is as effective as just asking someone who really knows the person."
Dr. Bill Burke
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW
Geriatrician and psychiatrist
narration
Why are Black and Hispanic Americans at higher risk of developing cognitive decline?
Black Americans are
Hispanic Americans are
2x
1.5x
as likely to develop Alzheimer's than white Americans.
as likely as white Americans to develop Alzheimer's disease.
See the factors that experts believe contribute to the disproportionate dementia risk in Black Americans.
"Despite Higher Risk, Latin Americans Are Left Out of Alzheimer’s Studies. Here’s Why"
READ MORE
READ MORE
narration
Hear about early signs from people living with cognitive decline: What’s normal, what’s not?
narration
Interactive quiz: What’s normal, what’s not?
Question 1/6
narration
Interactive quiz: What’s normal, what’s not?
Question 2/6
narration
Interactive quiz: What’s normal, what’s not?
Question 3/6
narration
Interactive quiz: What’s normal, what’s not?
Question 4/6
narration
Interactive quiz: What’s normal, what’s not?
Question 5/6
narration
Interactive quiz: What’s normal, what’s not?
Question 6/6
narration
Interactive quiz: What’s normal, what’s not?
NORMAL
1. You forgot where you put your keys but remember later.
NOT NORMAL
2. You forgot how to use your microwave after years of using it.
NORMAL
3. You occasionally forget a word but recall it later.
NOT NORMAL
4. You forget familliar names and struggle to recognize loved ones.
NORMAL
5. You forget an item on your to-do list.
NOT NORMAL
6. You get lost driving somewhere you've driven 100 times.
narration
Read more at beingpatient.com
How to spot and prevent memory loss
Neuroscientist and author Lisa Genova demystifies memory in her book Remember, offering clarity on normal forgetting versus dementia warning signs — plus science-backed strategies to strengthen memory.
A neuroscientist's perspective
"Our processing speeds slow as we age. That's normal. So we're always like, 'Oh, what's the name of that actor? What's the name of that show? What's the name of that city?' Normal. If you have Alzheimer's, you're going to have a hard time with regular common nouns, dozens of times a day... know that Alzheimer's is terrifying, but normal forgetting shouldn't be."
Lisa Genova
Read more
Neuroscientist and author of Remember
narration
When to be concerned: Warning signs
Some memory problems go beyond normal aging. Here are key early signs:
Getting lost in familiar areas and difficulty driving.
Family expresses concern about your behavioral changes.
Frequent confusion with time or place.
Repeating the same questions over and over.
Changes in mood, personality, or judgment.
Difficulty following conversations.
narration
How to protect brain health
Even low-impact exercise like walking — boosts brain function.
Move your body
Learn a new language or musical instrument to increase neuroplasticity.
Flex your brain
A fiber- and omega-3 rich diet promotes gut and brain health.
Eat brain-healthy foods
Deep sleep clears harmful brain proteins, like the build up of tau.
Prioritize sleep
Prioritize social connection to reduce cognitive decline risk and loneliness.
Stay social
narration
Read more at beingpatient.com
What to do if you're concerned
If cognitive issues are affecting your day-to-day life, don’t wait.
narration
Want to keep learning?
Visit
beingpatient.com
for the latest news and information on brain health and Alzheimer's disease
narration
narration