Weird specific short-term memory loss; should I be worried?

[Speedy]

Michael wrote:
Anomia means somebody has difficulty in finding words. I have that and have for decades. There's a form of anomia for names. In your case I'd bet it's stress-related and that writing all the information down may actually make it the anomia more prominent because the primary way to recall a name is by focusing and paying attention to it. If you're writing it down you don't need to focus, as much, because you know you have it written down. Add the stress of the loss of your cousin and it doesn't surprise me, at all, that you've got a touch of anomia.

If it expands or gets much worse it would be worth a mention to your primary doc. It might be the beginnings of MIld Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and that would be worth getting care for.

[SDGuy]

Speedy wrote:
[quote=Michael]
Anomia means somebody has difficulty in finding words. I have that and have for decades. There's a form of anomia for names. In your case I'd bet it's stress-related and that writing all the information down may actually make it the anomia more prominent because the primary way to recall a name is by focusing and paying attention to it. If you're writing it down you don't need to focus, as much, because you know you have it written down. Add the stress of the loss of your cousin and it doesn't surprise me, at all, that you've got a touch of anomia.

If it expands or gets much worse it would be worth a mention to your primary doc. It might be the beginnings of MIld Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and that would be worth getting care for.

I do plan to keep monitoring this situation; for the moment, it seems to be getting better - but I definitely plan to keep an eye on it.

[PeterB]

One other factor that I don't think anyone has mentioned yet:

Have you been getting enough and decent-quality sleep?

If you've been under stress (as it sounds you have), that can definitely affect your sleep patterns, which in turn can definitely affect memory... since consolidation typically takes place during different segments of sleep.

[SDGuy]

PeterB wrote:
One other factor that I don't think anyone has mentioned yet:

Have you been getting enough and decent-quality sleep?

If you've been under stress (as it sounds you have), that can definitely affect your sleep patterns, which in turn can definitely affect memory... since consolidation typically takes place during different segments of sleep.

To the bolded - definitely getting less and lesser quality sleep than my usual: falling asleep 2-3 hours earlier than before, and likewise waking up 2-3 hours earlier; the sleep itself the past few nights have been a bit fitful (somewhat stressy/anxiety-inducing dreams - not nightmares, and not related to my cousin's passing, but from what I can remember the dreams were of anxiety-inducing situations which I was glad to wake from (albeit at 3am-ish).

I also have been falling asleep and taking naps at least yesterday and today (can't remember what happened the day before). In fact, as I write this, it's very shortly after waking from a ~2.5 hr nap (around the same length and time of day as yesterday's nap).

Thanks - I hadn't thought of this (lack of decent sleep & obviously being a bit tired) as one of the possible reasons.

On the plus side - I can now recall the names of the folks, but one of them still feels "strange" to me, as in I can recall his name, but I have a lingering feeling that it's like I'm placing a label on him that's not quite right; I guess kinda like what it would feel like naming an actor by their character's name, and knowing that their real name is something else.

[PeterB]

Yep, sounds like sleep deprivation has had something to do with this. You'd be surprised how badly lack of sleep affects memory: https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2013/04/sleep-it