Wait a Minute

I checked and discovered I have been writing “Senior Moments” for about seven years possibly averaging two per month, probably more. Maybe two-hundred more or less on the Web and a newspaper). What I haven't done is to Google senior moment.

Here is some that came up: Word Spy: n. A momentary lapse in memory, particularly one experienced by a senior citizen. "Senior moment" was named Word of the Year (even though it's two words) by Webster's New World College Dictionary a couple of years back (who can remember when, exactly?). More?

“There is a natural decline in short-term memory as we age, which can be annoying.”

"Sometimes I can't think of the words when I'm talking. The idea is in my head, but I'm choking on the words." . . . We know the feeling.

More from Google: Researchers from the Mayo Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center in Rochester, Minn. found 19 percent of men ages 70 to 89 years had mild cognitive impairment, compared with only 14 percent of women. Researcher Dr. Ronald Petersen said the findings were surprising because Alzheimer's disease, which is preceded by this type of mental decline, affects more women than men.

Even after accounting for differences in education, age, and diseases like diabetes and hypertension, men had about 50 percent higher odds than women of having mild cognitive impairment. The gender differences were somewhat surprising to us because most people believe that women are at higher risk than men, Petersen said.

6,590,000 results came up in Google (no, I didn't look at them all). But here's more: The very early mild cognitive changes once thought to be normal aging are really the first signs of progressive dementia, in particular Alzheimer’s disease,” said Robert S. Wilson, Ph.D., neuropsychologist at Rush University Medical Center.

The study involved over 350 nuns, priests and brothers who participated in Rush’s Religious Orders Study and completed up to 13 years of annual cognitive testing. After death, the brains were examined for the lesions associated with dementia: neurofibrillary tangles, cerebral infarction (stroke), and Lewy bodies.

There is much more if you wish. Senior moments are common occurrences, unquestionably a challenge to experts and seniors alike. But are they precursors or annoyances? Or both?

Not being an expert, I guess I'll continue to pen my own mixed bag of senior moments, moments that are unforgettable, at times humorous, occasionally mind boggling but also vivid reminders that indeed our minds are still alive.