Hello. This is Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic.

Are You Forgetful, Could It Be Early Dementia?

"What was that name again?", "What was I supposed to do today?" Many people worry that frequent forgetfulness might be an early sign of dementia. While ordinary forgetfulness like forgetting important appointments or where you put things can happen to anyone, as its frequency increases and worsens, worries about potential situations grow. Especially for modern people suffering from stress and lack of sleep, memory decline is no longer someone else's story.

💡 [Key Answer] 3 most common causes of frequent forgetfulness: ① Brain fatigue and autonomic imbalance / ② Chronic stress and lack of sleep / ③ Decreased cerebral blood circulation Dalimchae Clinic improves memory and cognitive function by cooling overheated brains and restoring the brain's natural resilience through autonomic stabilization treatment.

The cause of forgetfulness is not simply age. It is closely related to the lifestyle habits of modern people. Excessive work, stress, and irregular living patterns continuously fatigue the brain, which ultimately leads to a decline in brain cognitive function. In particular, during sleep, the brain performs important tasks such as cleaning up waste accumulated during the day and organizing memories, and lack of sleep interferes with this process, accelerating memory decline.

Our body's autonomic nervous system activates the sympathetic nervous system in response to stress, which can cause brain overload. If the brain remains in a constant state of tension, concentration and memory drop, and brain fatigue accumulates, making it easily exhausted by small things. This can be a precursor symptom that goes beyond simple forgetfulness and leads to serious cognitive decline such as dementia.

Many people get confused between forgetfulness and early dementia symptoms. The biggest difference is whether 'memories can be recalled again'. With forgetfulness, even if you forget a specific fact or word, you can soon recall it when you encounter related clues. For example, "forgetting where you left the car keys, but remembering upon seeing them in the entryway" falls under this.

On the other hand, early dementia symptoms, especially mild cognitive impairment, tend to lose the memory itself. Even with clues or time, specific facts or events cannot be recalled, and the experience itself is even denied. In addition, blurred concepts of date or time, or spatial perception decline such as getting lost on familiar roads may accompany it. If these symptoms repeat, it is important to identify the cause through precise examination.

The autonomic nervous system is responsible for vital functions such as heartbeat, digestion, body temperature regulation, and sleep regardless of our will. When this autonomic nervous system loses balance, the brain cannot rest and begins to overheat. When the sympathetic nervous system is excessively activated due to stress, anxiety, or overwork, the brain remains in a continuous state of tension, which is a major cause of memory and concentration decline.

A study published in the 「Journal of the American Geriatrics Society」 in 2011 reported that patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) showed significant abnormalities in autonomic function, especially parasympathetic function, compared to the control group. MCI patients were 5.6 times more likely to have autonomic dysfunction compared to the control group (95% confidence interval 1.6-27.2). This suggests that brain function decline and autonomic imbalance are closely related.

In addition, a study published in 「Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience」 in 2020 explored the link between autonomic nervous system activity and cognitive function through Heart Rate Variability (HRV) analysis. This study found that MMSE and MoCA scores showed significant positive correlations with sympathetic nervous system parameters (SDNN, SDANN, LF, LF/HF ratio). This shows that proper activation of the autonomic nervous system is important for maintaining brain function, and when balance is broken, it can negatively affect cognitive function. These research results emphasize that the harmonious action of the autonomic nervous system is essential for maintaining brain health, especially memory and cognitive function.

Dalimchae Clinic Songdo Branch focuses on restoring the brain's natural function by regaining the balance of the autonomic nervous system. Chronic brain fatigue and stress cause autonomic disturbance, inducing cognitive function decline, so stabilizing this is core.

According to a study by a research team at Kyung Hee University College of Korean Medicine in Korea published in 「Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine」 in 2021, applying the 'Korean Elderly Health Promotion Program' including herbal medicine and acupuncture treatment to 500 patients with mild cognitive impairment resulted in a significant improvement in MoCA-K (Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Korea) scores by an average of 2.77 points (p < 0.0001) and MMSE-DS scores by an average of 2.19 points (p < 0.0001). The researchers concluded that such Korean medicine intervention is effective in improving cognitive function and depression symptoms in patients with mild cognitive impairment.

In addition, a study published in 「Translational Clinical Pharmacology」 in 2019 showed that taking Panax ginseng for 6 months in 90 Koreans with mild cognitive impairment showed significant improvement in Rey Complex Figure Test (RCFT) immediate recall (p=0.0405) and 20-minute delayed recall (p=0.0396) abilities compared to the placebo group. This study suggests that ginseng is effective in improving cognitive function.

Based on these data, Dalimchae Clinic treats the root cause of brain function decline from autonomic imbalance. The brain and autonomic nervous system are closely connected, so when the balance of the autonomic nervous system collapses, the brain cannot rest and overheats, leading to cognitive function decline. In Korean medicine, the goal is to lower the heat of the nervous system and create an environment where the brain can rest—referred to as Suseunghwagang in Korean medicine.

If 3 or more of the following apply, you can suspect forgetfulness due to brain fatigue and autonomic imbalance.

• I feel like my memory has deteriorated rapidly recently.
• I frequently forget where I put things, and even when I find them, I don't recall well.
• I have difficulty in conversation because people's names or proper nouns don't come to mind well.
• I frequently forget what I was doing, or my concentration is easily distracted.
• Learning new things or adapting to new environments feels difficult.
• The quality of sleep is poor, and I don't feel refreshed even after waking up.
• I suffer from chronic headaches or dizziness together.
• Stress or anxiety is severe and affects daily life.

If 3 or more apply: Suspected cognitive function decline due to autonomic imbalance. Professional diagnosis and complex Korean medical treatment at Songdo forgetfulness clinic need to be considered. If 5 or more apply: Active brain health management is necessary, and immediate visit to Dalimchae Clinic Songdo Branch is recommended.

Q. Does severe forgetfulness lead to dementia? A. Not all forgetfulness leads to dementia. However, mild cognitive impairment, where memory decline worsens with age, can be viewed as a pre-stage of dementia, so active management is necessary. Especially if the cause of cognitive function decline is autonomic imbalance, meticulous treatment is all the more important.

Q. What are good lifestyle habits for brain health? A. Regular exercise, sufficient sleep, a balanced diet, and reading or new learning that stimulates the brain are very important for brain health. In particular, managing stress and finding peace of mind helps maintain the balance of the autonomic nervous system.

Q. How long does Korean medicine treatment take to improve forgetfulness? A. The treatment period may vary depending on the individual's symptom severity, cause, and constitution. Generally, restoring brain function and stabilizing the autonomic nervous system requires steady treatment and lifestyle improvements, usually taking 3 to 6 months or more.

Q. Where is the clinic where I can receive brain health management in Songdo? A. Dalimchae Clinic Songdo Branch is a brain and autonomic nerve specialized clinic providing customized Korean medicine treatment for those troubled by forgetfulness and early dementia symptoms. Through customized herbal medicine prescriptions, acupuncture, and pharmacopuncture treatment suitable for individual constitution and symptoms, we improve brain function and help you regain the balance of the autonomic nervous system.

Forgetfulness is not a problem solved by enduring. You no longer have to ignore the signals your body has been sending for a long time. If you approach in the right direction, your body responds faster than you think. Bring the symptoms you are experiencing just as they are. Dalimchae Clinic will find the cause together.

Where life blooms. For herbal medicine, it's Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic. Check symptoms similar to mine first through the AI consultation on the Dalimchae Clinic website!

This article is health information compiled by Dalimchae medical staff based on questions frequently received in the treatment room. Medical Supervision | Brain & Autonomic Nervous System Treatment Standards Dalimchae Clinic Songdo Branch Korean Medicine Doctor Oh Hyunmin (Cognitive Decline Column) #Forgetfulness #EarlyDementia #MemoryDecline #AutonomicNervousSystem #SongdoClinic #SongdoDementiaClinic #BrainHealth #KoreanMedicineTreatment #CognitiveDecline