Have you ever had trouble remembering where you placed your keys? Or did you forget the name of an old friend you ran into at the grocery store?

As people age, they have occasional problems retrieving information from their memory. While the person experiencing these problems might notice a slight decline, typically, the changes are so subtle that family members might not notice. Even memory tests aren’t sensitive enough to catch these differences.

However, 10 to 15 percent of Americans over 65 might develop mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which involves more frequent lapses in memory and judgment. Though MCI is sometimes caused by Alzheimer’s, many other causes are reversible.

Here are some tips to tell the difference between normal aging and MCI.

Normal aging versus cognitive decline

Memory loss caused by aging doesn’t disrupt your daily life in the same way as MCI. It won’t occur all the time, and the lapses won’t be severe enough to affect your ability to complete everyday tasks, like remembering to take food out of the oven or driving home from work. Unlike MCI, age-related memory loss doesn’t affect your ability to learn and remember new information.

People with MCI also experience symptoms like:

  • getting lost or disoriented in familiar places
  • having a hard time following along with a story or conversation
  • frequently missing appointments or social engagements
  • difficulty with decision-making or judgment
  • difficulty finishing tasks or following directions

Unlike normal aging, MCI can also lead to bouts of depression, anxiety, aggression, or apathy.

How a doctor can help

After learning about your symptoms and taking a medical history, your doctor might be able to tell if the memory loss is age-related or something more serious. If the memory problems are frequent and disruptive, you might be diagnosed with MCI. Your doctor will run tests to determine the underlying cause and see if the issues are treatable.

Some common causes of MCI include thyroid hormone or vitamin deficiencies, metabolic problems, sleep problems, depression, and medications you may have recently started taking. Once these issues are addressed, one in four people will return to their baseline cognitive function. However, one in six cases will progress to dementia.

A PET scan, lumbar puncture, or blood test can help the doctor determine if the MCI is caused by Alzheimer’s and whether you might be eligible for clinical trials or a good candidate for recently approved anti-amyloid medications. Doctors can also help you implement lifestyle changes like exercise or a healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, that might help protect your brain.

For many people, memory lapses are disconcerting. If these lapses are frequent, it might be a sign of MCI. Figuring out the underlying reason for these memory problems and intervening could help your brain return to normal.