Like many septuagenarians, I sometimes worry that I’m sliding into dementia because my memory seems to be getting worse. I’m forgetting names, where I put my keys, and the titles of movies.

Not to worry, says Bruno Dubois, Director of the Institute of Memory and Alzheimer’s Disease (IMMA) at La Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital Paris. “It often happens in people 60 years and older that they complain that they lack memory. The information is always in the brain, it is the ‘processor’ that is lacking.”

What I’m experiencing he says, is “anosognosia.” (See today’s “Word to the Wise” below.) It’s temporary forgetfulness. Not Alzheimer’s. In fact, he says, if you are conscious of and concerned about forgetfulness, you almost assuredly do NOT have dementia.

If you have doubts, here’s a test I got from BJ, a fellow septuagenarian:

1. Find the C in the table below. 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

2. If you found the C, find the 6 in the table below. 

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

69999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

3. Now find the N in the table below. (A little more difficult!) 

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMM

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

If you found all three without a problem, you can cancel your visit to the neurologist. Your brain is in perfect shape!