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Memory loss in the elderly may or may not be related to Alzheimer's disease, which has been found to begin as early as 50 years old in some families. In this case, cerebral atrophy (the loss of nerve cells and supporting structures) can result in fewer dendritic connections between nerve cells, consequently "missing links" in memories. Difficulties in stored memories moving from short-term to long-term areas of the brain also increases with age. This combination of poorer memory storage as well as memory retrieval may begin to be seen first as "anomia," or being at a loss for words. Difficulties in remembering names of familiar people or objects can be especially frustrating, though often the correct name will occur minutes or hours later.

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16y ago

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