https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/could-a-silent-stroke-erode-your-memory
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Silent strokes and your memory
Though a woman may not notice any immediate effects, a silent stroke could interrupt the flow of information in her brain needed for memory, especially if several of these strokes occur over time (which is the most common scenario).
In a study published in the January 3 issue of the journal Neurology, researchers looked at more than 650 people without a history of dementia. Using MRI scans, the study authors tracked interruptions in blood supply to the participants’ brains. More than 170 of the participants were found to have small areas of dead tissue from a lack of blood supply (called infarcts) in the brain, even though only 66 of them reported having had symptoms of a stroke. People with these brain infarcts had difficulties with memory and mental processes (cognition). The memory issues occurred independent of any shrinkage of the hippocampus (the part of the brain responsible for memory)—which is typically seen with Alzheimer’s and other forms of age-related memory loss.
Researchers say that over time, the damage from silent strokes can accumulate, leading to more and more memory problems. “The more brain damage or injury that you have due to these silent strokes, the more difficult it is for the brain to function normally,” Dr. Furie says.
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I keep wondering whether silent strokes caused my memory problems.
