HEALTHY LIVING


the-Tongue Problem


Tip-of-


New research says struggling to find words may be a normal part of aging. :: BY CHRIS ILIADES, M.D.


I


f you are older than 50, you are probably noticing more problems recalling words for people, places, or things that


you know you know. They are on the tip of your tongue,


but they get stuck somewhere between your brain and your mouth. Called word-finding difficulty


(WFD) or tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) states, struggling to find words increases with age and has been associated with a higher risk for dementia. However, recent research suggests


TOTs are usually a normal part of aging.


“Most people who enter middle


age start to notice that they cannot recall words or names with the speed and accuracy they once could,” says Andrew Duxbury, M.D., professor of medicine in the division of gerontology, geriatrics, and palliative care at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “It tends to slowly worsen with


increasing age. It’s aggravating and annoying and, unfortunately, universal in senior years.”


WHAT CAUSES TOT? The most accepted theory is that the circuits in your brain slow down with age. Unlike a neurodegenerative


disease such as Alzheimer’s, in which 86 NEWSMAX MAXLIFE | OCTOBER 2025


memories have disappeared due to loss of brain cells, the information is still there with TOTs, but it takes more time to get it. “TOTs do not appear to correlate


directly with the development of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementing illnesses. I tend to regard it as a marker for an aging brain, but not for a diseased brain,” says Duxbury. Recent studies show that slowing


of speech and an increasing inability to find words may be red flags for dementia, but if you have brief stops while waiting for a word, can use other words to compensate, and eventually retrieve the word, that’s normal. “Everyone can have these episodes


at any age, but they become more common as we get older. “In younger people, they tend to present at times of physical or


emotional stress, when our brains are in an overload state. “They tend to show up with a noticeable frequency around the 50s, and by the mid-60s, most people are acutely aware of their existence. “When we recognize that the word


is missing, several parts of the brain are activated to fill the gap. These include the anterior cingulate cortex, which recognizes the missing information and sends out a retrieval SOS. “As we age, there is a certain


amount of natural atrophy, especially in the anterior cingulate cortex, which slows down the speed with which this system can work, and this leads to more frequent episodes of word- finding difficulty,” explains Duxbury.


WHEN SHOULD YOU WORRY? “Frequent occurrences are probably not normal in a college student but are likely normal in an older adult,” says Duxbury. “When we have TOT, we usually


know it and do our best to correct ourselves. “Very early dementia may have


word loss that is indistinguishable from benign TOT, but the differences will make themselves evident with time. Dementia language issues get worse.”


Most people who enter middle age start to notice that they cannot recall words or names with the speed and accuracy they


once could.” — Andrew Duxbury, M.D.


WHAT CAN YOU DO? Talk to your doctor if you have TOTs that are becoming more frequent; you are unable to retrieve words over time; and word finding is slowing down your speech or making it hard to communicate your thoughts. “Most speech language pathologists


and speech therapists suggest that older adults regularly exercise the language centers of their brain,” says Duxbury. “Personally, when I have TOT — and


now that I am in my 60s, it’s becoming more common for me — I find that relaxing and clearing my mind rather than becoming anxious about the issue is the most useful thing. “The missing information will usually just drop into place.”


LIDIA SHAPOVAL©ISTOCK


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