A Neuroscientist Explains When It’s Time to Start Worrying About Your Memory

As I have already confessed several times in my writing, the pandemic was not kind to my memory. Even after the worst of the virus-related disruptions had passed I found myself frequently walking into rooms and not remembering why I was there and blanking out on many of life’s small chores and obligations.

Worried, I went digging around online and discovered I was not alone. There are very real neurological reasons why two years of confinement, boredom, and stress can lead to a foggy mind and forgotten permission slips. Happily, I also learned my 40-some odd years shouldn’t be slowing me down mentally either. Most healthy brains don’t start slowing down until well into your 60s.

Which is good news for me and the many people who, like me, suffer from frequent small memory lapses. But this happy discovery raises a complementary question. If post-pandemic Swiss-cheese-brain isn’t a sign of a serious cognitive glitch, what is? When should you worry that something is truly off with your memory?

Relax, losing your keys and forgetting names is totally normal.

Recently on the TED Ideas blog, neuroscientist, TED speaker, and best-selling author Lisa Genova offered a succinct and reassuring answer to this…