Is forgetting names an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease?
Psychiatrist,
Blauvelt, New York
Q: I am a 36 years old female having problem with recalling people's names. It takes me really hard to recall my teammates' names at the office. I am also very bad with numbers though I can recognise people with amazing accuracy. I am good at remembering places as well. Is forgetting names an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease?
A:At 36 it is very unlikely that you are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Many people of your age and older have trouble recalling names, and this does not indicate any cause for alarm. Recalling names is a recent brain development, easily lost. Face recognition, on the other hand, is ancient and therefore preserved even when other memory functions are diminished. Of course, your problem may be due to social anxiety, another matter entirely.