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Everyone experiences moments of forgetfulness from time to time. It is normal, for example, to fail to remember events during a high fever, an operation, an epileptic seizure, or a diabetic coma. Excessive stress can also result in a loss of memory, as can a particularly traumatic event. As people grow older, they tend to worry more about memory loss, fearing it is a warning sign of mental decline. Contrary to popular belief, marked impairment of memory is not a normal part of aging. At any age, sudden or marked chronic memory loss warrants medical investigation.

Causes of memory loss

Alcohol abuse
Excessive use of alcohol interferes with normal brain function, and can cause both short-term and permanent memory loss. Heavy drinkers often experience "blackouts" when intoxicated. Chronic alcoholics may develop alcoholic brain syndrome or Korsakoff's syndrome, conditions characterized by severe mental impairment.

Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease is a neurological disorder in which the brain's nerve structure is progressively damaged, leading to dementia and memory loss. Although most cases occur after the age of 60, it can begin at any age. The cause of Alzheimer's remains unknown, although it is believed that an inherited predisposition affects its onset.

Cold exposure
Chronic exposure to the cold can cause hypothermia, which slows the body's metabolism. Chronic hypothermia can cause memory loss.

Dementia
Dementia is a syndrome characterized by impaired intellectual function, memory loss, and altered personality severe enough to interfere with normal social or job functions. Although most people think of dementia in connection with Alzheimer's disease, it also may be produced by many other disorders or circumstances (some of them reversible), including drug toxicity, emotional disorders, disorders of the metabolic or endocrine systems, vision and

hearing problems, malnutrition, tumors, trauma, infections, stroke, and poor circulation.

Drug abuse
Many illicit drugs, especially LSD and other hallucinogenic drugs, can cause serious mental decline, including memory loss.

Head injury
Even minor head trauma can damage the blood vessels that cover the brain. When these vessels bleed, they can form a pocket (subdural hematoma) that creates pressure on the brain. If untreated, the hematoma can produce memory impairment and other mental symptoms. A concussion, in which there is often a brief loss of consciousness, can also cause memory loss.

Medication side effects
Many medications can impair mental function, especially if they are taken for long periods of time. In particular, the improper use of tranquilizers and sleeping pills may cause confusion and memory loss.

Parkinson's disease
This neurological disorder is caused by gradual deterioration in selected nerve centers in the brain. As the normal balance of body chemicals is disrupted, brain messages are no longer transmitted properly. Although the most noticeable symptom is tremor of the head and hands, Parkinson's disease also may impair memory.

Stress or emotional trauma
Emotional stress can interfere with a person's ability to concentrate, and can lead to memory loss. Hysteria or

psychogenic amnesia is a severe form of memory loss that often stems from a particularly traumatic event. For example, people who have had a serious accident and victims of rape or other violent crimes often have no memory of the event. In other cases, the person remembers virtually nothing about his or her past.

Stroke
A stroke occurs when part of the brain is damaged because its blood supply has been disrupted. Although it is well known that major strokes can damage brain function, a series of minor strokes (known as TIAs) may go largely unnoticed except for small changes in mental function, some of which may impair memory.

Tumors and abscesses
Anything that encroaches on the brain can result in mental symptoms, including memory loss. The tumors may be benign or cancerous. Brain infections that result in abscesses or the accumulation of fluid {hydrocephaly) can also impair memory.