Are you forgetful?

RESEARCHERS at the University of Aberdeen monitored how reliable people were at carrying out tasks and whether their mood affected the chances of them completing it. Dr Katharina Schnitzspahn, who co-led the study, says: “Our results suggest a clear relationship between our emotional states and our cognitive performance and highlights the need to reduce stress and negative feelings in order to help us remember and perform our planned intentions.”

Here is a list of potential explanations...

LOW MOOD

Schnitzspahn says: “Our study, and previous work in the laboratory, show an association between mood and remembering intentions – the better the mood, the better we remember our tasks.”

STRESS AND ANXIETY

If you’re feeling stressed or anxious, it can make it harder to concentrate and lock in new information or retrieve old memories. “Acute stress is negatively related to prospective memory – our ability to remember and perform delayed intentions,” says Schnitzspahn. “This was also true for stress experienced during the pandemic.”

DEPRESSION

You may be more forgetful if you’re depressed, and studies show depressive symptoms have an adverse effect on the immediate recall of new information. Schnitzspahn says: “Not surprisingly, research suggests memory is reduced in different patient populations, for example those with depression.”

DRINKING TOO MUCH ALCOHOL

Having too much booze can interfere with short-term memory, even after the effects of alcohol have worn off.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

Studies suggest high blood pressure is linked to reduced memory.

LACK OF SLEEP

Studies have confirmed that sleep deprivation causes short- and long-term cognitive impairment, affecting memory as well as thinking and attention.

VITAMIN B-12 DEFICIENCY

A vitamin B-12 deficiency is linked to impaired cognition and memory, and have even suggested low vitamin B-12 levels can increase the risk of dementia.