What Causes Sudden Loss Of Memory In An Elderly Person?

Posted on Tue, 15 Dec 2015

Question: My wife, 70 years old, very sharp, very alert, very everything, has suddenly in the last hour started losing her memory. She cannot remember the word "computer", that she owns an Apple, and a list of other, pretty basic things. She was feeling a little light-headed but that passed. She has a headache now but not bad, she says. She looks fine and can carry on a conversation but her losing a number of words is new. I wondered if she was having a mini-stroke but there don't seem to be any other signs of that.

Answered by Dr. Ajay Panwar (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Neurological examination urgently.

Detailed Answer:
Hi xxxxxxxxxxxx,
Thanks for being on healthcaremagic.com.
I am Dr.Ajay Panwar,a neurologist,here to answer your query.

There is no doubt that she must visit a neurologist in person urgently to get her physically examined because sudden disturbance in memory and other cognitive function,surely must be an acute process.She may have to undergo a brain imaging scan.Its important to rule out any abnormal neurological sign on physical examination.
Even in strokes,sometimes,patient may present with isolated signs corresponding to the small regions of the brain involved.

I shall be glad to have you in follow-up with further questions.

Regards
Dr.Ajay Panwar,
MD,DM(Neurology)

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar