As people age or become distracted, it becomes difficult to recall this information on demand. But it is not Alzheimer's. About one of every three Americans over age 85 is expected to develop the progressive, degenerative disease of the brain that leads to dementia. Most people do not lose their motor, or habit, memory, which is the guiding force of life's routines, Gray said. These habits die very, very slowly.
Organizational skills can make it easier, however, to cope with the changes.
If you have a sprained brain, you've got to have lists and check things off. Things become less and less reliable as you grow older. Overall, he encouraged women to feel better about the fact that they are living long enough to be concerned about their memories. A lot of issues we see in health now are related to the fact that women have a whole second life after their evolutionary reproductive mission is completed.