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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Lifestyle
Bianca Nogrady

Signs of dementia or normal forgetfulness? How to tell the difference

It’s normal for our processing to slow with age, but it can be a frustrating experience.
It’s normal for our processing to slow with age, but it can be a frustrating experience. Photograph: Westend61/Getty Images

You walk into a room and forget why. Someone introduces themselves at a party and within seconds you’ve forgotten their name. You can’t remember where you parked the car. You’ve put your phone in the fridge. You can’t recall your granddaughter’s name. Your best friend dies and you keep forgetting they’re gone.

Is it tiredness, distraction, or is it dementia? Most of us over a certain age will, at least once in our lives, do one of the above and worry we are losing our marbles.

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