Occasional forgetfulness is part of the aging process and usually begins in middle age. It’s very different from dementia, which are symptoms of cognitive decline in thinking, reasoning and remembering. These symptoms are severe enough to interfere with a person’s daily activities.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. It’s a progressive, degenerative illness which affects nerve cells in several areas of the brain, leading to loss of new memories and learning. One in 8 Americans over the age of 65 is affected by Alzheimer’s.