Kim Ji-eun, a professor of neurology at Ilsan Paik Hospital, explains the difference between mild cognitive impairment and forgetfulness.The memory is not normally felt, but it continues to work. It’s about getting to know your family, using your language, and helping you find your way home. In addition, it is also a form of memory that allows you to smile while reminiscing on pleasant experiences in the past. Memories are like air in our lives. For this reason, life can be viewed as a ‘continuum of memories’.
So what does oblivion mean for us? In general, memory and forgetting always work in balance like a two-armed scale. If you live your life without forgetting what was difficult or painful, it would be like a punishment. Because forgetting, which fades over time, works, we can have the power to brush and rise again.
But the problem arises when the balance between memory and forgetting is disturbed. First, consider the case where memory is excessively dominant over forgetting. Professor Kim Ji-eun of the Department of Neurology at Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital said, “At first glance, it seems that it would be good to have a superior memory, but it is not. They are confused in the mix of reality. However, such a patient group is rarely reported worldwide.”
On the other hand, the pattern of imbalance we are accustomed to is ‘when forgetting is excessively dominant’. Professor Kim Ji-eun said, “Mild cognitive impairment and dementia, which are common in the media these days, are ‘pathological memory loss’ that belong to these cases.”
How is it different from forgetfulness? We can find the answer in the Chinese character for forgetfulness (健忘症). Forgetfulness is a term that literally combines the characters ‘to be healthy and strong (健)’ and ‘to forget’ (忘), suggesting that there is a positive function in life. We use the term ‘forgetfulness’ when we have a brain disease, but forgetfulness does not mean pathological cognitive decline. The brain is unable to register new information or has the capacity to retrieve stored information. In other words, forgetfulness appears when the brain cannot rest due to poor sleep time, mental stress, overwork, complicated mind or depression. In the midst of an endless flood of information like these days, you can feel forgetful even if your brain is engrossed in excessive levels of external stimuli.
Professor Kim Ji-eun of the Department of Neurology at Ilsan Paik Hospital said, “In such a situation, our brain sends a signal that the brain is tired, like a toad’s nest and shuts off the power. Especially, if you are young, when you feel that forgetfulness has worsened, your body and mind We must first look at whether this comfortable state is right, and whether we have been exposed to digital media such as electronic devices for too long.”
Mild cognitive impairment refers to a stage of pathological cognitive decline. It is common for patients to visit the hospital after observing symptoms for more than several years because there is no problem in conducting daily life. Professor Kim Ji-eun said, “The probability that normal people progress to dementia is only 1 to 2%, whereas patients with mild cognitive impairment have a 5 to 10% probability of progressing to dementia according to the literature. It is important to identify early whether it is a level or mild cognitive impairment stage,” he explained.
Mild cognitive impairment is not the name of a specific disease. It is an expression that encompasses the ‘stage or condition of cognitive decline’ rather than the name of an individual disease like ‘gastritis’ and ‘appendicitis’ that we are familiar with. In other words, a ‘state’ in which a significant decline is observed on an objective cognitive function test when compared with the average value of the same age group with the same age and educational background, although it is still possible to lead an independent life, is called mild cognitive impairment. It is easy to think of dementia as not a specific disease, but in the same context as a term that refers to a ‘state’ in which an independent life is impossible due to cognitive decline.
Just as there are dozens of diseases that can cause the condition called dementia, there are also dozens of diseases that can cause the condition called mild cognitive impairment. Among them, Alzheimer’s disease, which accounts for the largest portion of dementia-causing diseases, often shows a pattern of ‘amnestic mild cognitive impairment’, in which a clear decline in the memory area is observed in the initial cognitive function test. Careful identification of the type (subtype) of the disorder is important for predicting future course of progression.
Professor Kim Ji-eun said, “The brain is a very difficult biological organ to perform biopsy compared to other organs. When various imaging tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electron emission tomography (PET-CT) are combined with accurate history taking, steady clinical progress identification, and analysis of precise neuropsychological examination patterns, the path to pathological subsidence You will be able to find the right milestones.”
These days, even when asymptomatic, there are a lot of people who take so-called brain nutrients and brain function improvement drugs in advance for ‘preventing dementia in the future’. However, the greatest risk factor for mild cognitive impairment or dementia is age, so it cannot be completely prevented by taking certain medications.
It is important to try to cut off the harmful things first before finding the ones that are good for the body. A balanced diet, regular exercise, hobbies, and maintenance of regular social activities are the extent to which the brain’s degenerative process is delayed. However, if you feel an imbalance between memory and forgetting despite these efforts, it is necessary to get an appropriate test through an interview with a medical staff as early as possible.
Q. Do you think there is a problem with your memory?
Q. Do you think your memory is worse than it was 10 years ago?
Q. Do you think your memory is worse than other people your age?
Q. Do you feel uncomfortable in your daily life due to memory loss?
Q. Do you have a hard time remembering something that happened recently?
Q. Do you have a hard time remembering conversations you had a few days ago?
Q. Do you have a hard time remembering an appointment you made a few days ago?
Q. Do you have trouble remembering the names of close people?
Q. Do you have trouble remembering where you put things?
Q. Do you lose things more often than before?
Q. Have you ever gotten lost near your house?
Q. Do you have trouble remembering the names of items when trying to buy 2 or 3 items in the store?
Q. Do you have trouble remembering to turn off gas or electric lights?
Q. Do you have a hard time remembering the phone number you use often (your or your child’s home)?
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