Memory Lapse Normal?

[ArtsyMe]

A week ago I had an odd memory lapse that really frightened me. To give you some back information, I'm a 29 year old female in good health with no family history of Alzheimer's.

I was decorating the Christmas tree with my fiancé. He was placing decorations on the tree while I was stringing up the lights. As I was putting the lights on the tree, I came across an ornament. It was a dried starfish with a sand dollar attached to it. I started to say, "Hey, I really like this...." and then blanked on the word starfish. It took me approximately 15 seconds to remember what I was called. I knew as I was staring at it what it was but I couldn't produce the word.

I will admit I'm a bit prone to anxiety and do have a tendency to always think the worst, but could this be an early sign of young-onset Alzheimer's? I haven't had any other major issues such as forgetting appointments or not being able to preform daily tasks. I've had infrequent moments of forgetting someone's name, but then I'm able to recall it after a moment.

Is this just a normal bout of a memory lapse? Or should I be more concerned?

Thank you.

M

[Adult Neurology, M.D.]

Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with a doctor.

Without the ability to examine and obtain a history, I cannot tell you what the exact cause of the symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.

I can understand your concern regarding the event. 15 seconds of memory lapse can seem long for a person with no baseline memory problems. However, an isolated incident like this and of such short duration and without any other associated neurological symptoms is likely not the sign of any significant disease. I think you can set your mind at ease and enjoy your holidays

Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.

[ArtsyMe]

Thank you so much for the reply. I think my anxious mind has run away with the worst case scenario.

The episode happened two weeks ago and I haven't had any other similar lapses. I take that as a good sign, right?