Continuing with an article published by the Harvard Health Publications on the causes of memory impairment.

Hormones
Many naturally occurring hormones can affect memory and overall cognitive function. A good deal of research has been done on memory and three of these hormones: estrogen, testosterone, and thyroid hormone.

Estrogen
Many women experience trouble with memory during menopause, when their levels of estrogen fall sharply. However, stress or other psychological issues, sleep disturbance due to hot flashes, or a combination of factors could also be to blame.
Some studies suggest that estrogen protects neurons, which might explain a connection with memory. If that’s true, hormone supplements should protect against age-related memory difficulties. In fact, research has revealed the opposite (see “Estrogen therapy and memory”).

Testosterone
Men with high levels of testosterone have better visual and verbal memories than men with low levels. Still, the value of testosterone supplementation in older men is controversial. One early study found that testosterone supplements led to improvements in working memory in men, but a 2007 study of healthy older men found no such benefit. Testosterone supplements have drawbacks — they can increase the risk of some kinds of cancer and may also raise the risk for stroke and for vascular dementia. Nevertheless, some experts think testosterone may have therapeutic value in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Thyroid
The thyroid gland secretes hormones that control metabolism, the rate at which the body burns energy. When the thyroid doesn’t function properly, it can release too much or too little of these hormones, making the metabolism run too fast or too slow. Either problem can interfere with learning and memory. Hyperthyroidism, which causes an abnormally fast metabolism, can make people feel confused. Hypothyroidism, which causes an abnormally slow metabolism, can make people feel sluggish, sleepy, and depressed. Research on animals shows that changes in the levels of thyroid hormone cause physiological changes in the hippocampus. Research also shows that when thyroid problems are treated, people’s memory problems diminish.

Medications
Many prescription and over-the-counter medicines can impair memory (see “Medications and memory loss”). Antihistamines and tranquilizers cause drowsiness or interfere in other ways with the ability to maintain attention. Anticholinergic agents, such as those used to treat bladder dysfunction, affect the activity of certain neurotransmitters in the brain that are crucial to memory. The tricyclic class of antidepressants also has anticholinergic side effects that can impair memory and other elements of cognitive function. Other medicines that can cause memory loss include insulin for diabetes, narcotic painkillers such as meperidine (Demerol), beta blockers for hypertension, cimetidine (Tagamet) for ulcers, amantadine (Symmetrel) for Parkinson’s disease, sleeping pills, benzodiazepines for anxiety, eye drops for glaucoma, and chemotherapy for cancer.
As people age, they are more likely to experience side effects from medications for two reasons. First, older people tend to take more medications because they generally have more health problems. The more medications people take, the greater the chance of an adverse reaction to a single drug or interactions among drugs. Second, because metabolism slows with age, medications linger longer in the body.
If you are experiencing memory problems and suspect that one or more of your medications is responsible, make a list of all your medications and talk with your doctor. Don’t stop taking a medicine until you have consulted your doctor. If you and your doctor pinpoint a medication that may be causing your memory problems, you may be able to stop taking the drug and see whether your memory improves. Alternately, your doctor may be able to replace a troublesome medication with a different drug that does not interfere with your memory or cognitive abilities. It may take up to several weeks for any improvement to occur.

Medications and memory lossCommon prescription drugs in the following categories may cause memory loss as a side effect.Sleep medications
Tranquilizers/anxiety medications
Painkillers
Antihypertensives
Heartburn medications
Antidepressants
Antiepileptics
Antipsychotics
Parkinson’s disease medications
Anticholinergics

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