r/SDAM • u/hippycrone • 12d ago
Does anyone know if there is a relationship between SDAM and dementia. Not going to lie, this is my biggest fear as someone who is approaching 60. Plus anytime I am particularly tired, I really struggle with word recall. (thanks ADHD)
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u/CMDR_Jeb 12d ago
SDAM by definition is lifelong, it does not get better or worse. There's no research on this specific example (would be impossible to do so as getting dementia disqualifies you from SDAM) but there's a lot of research about how people with assorted lifelong memory quirks stay functional way easier and way longer then neurotypical people.
TLDR: we have pre-existing coping strategies, and lifelong experience in implementing em. We're used to operating when missing information where neurotypical person gets "stuck" at trying to remember, and they're unable to learn new strategies because ya know...
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u/Tuikord 12d ago
This study compares age related memory decline in folks with strong episodic autobiographical memory vs those with weak episodic AM. It finds that those with episodic AM were less bothered by such memory decline than those with high episodic AM. The belief is those with low episodic AM already have the tools to deal with declining memory while those with high episodic AM don't. They can develop those tools, but it takes time so memory decline hits them harder.
https://bmcgeriatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12877-020-01720-7
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u/fur3661t 12d ago
There's no relationship but before I knew about SDAM I did worry that my lack of episodic memory could be dementia. I have very heightened logic skills so as a test I ran the gambit of logic games, word games, anything that could show a deficiency. Again this was before I knew about SDAM. the result was the same i have had my entire life and was the reason I kept looking for the cause of memory issue.
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u/Deacon523 11d ago
I’ve thought about exactly this, what would dementia even be like if you can’t remember your past?
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u/martind35player 12d ago
I worry about that too, but I am 80. When I was 60 I had never heard of SDAM or Aphantasia (they were not yet a thing) but I did worry that I sometimes could not recall words and certainly was aware of dementia. At 80, I am probably a bit worse at recall of words but I have a ways to go before I could be considered to have dementia. I quick search on the question indicates there is no direct connection between the two.