L'oubli en psychogériatrie en dehors de la démence

Memory is likely to undergo different influences in the course of existence. Forgetfulness is partly physiological and contributes to the proper functioning of memory. Ordinary forgetfulness is not unique to the elderly, but is often a source of concern for them. While it can generate memory complaints in the elderly, forgetfulness is far from being systematically pathological, nor is it necessarily linked to a neurodegenerative pathology. Forgetfulness, outside the context of dementia, can sometimes be linked to long-standing psychiatric problems, worsening with the years. Human memory should be regarded as a complex process, in constant transformation at any age. For this reason, it cannot be assimilated to a digital backup, which, in computers, are permanent and cannot be falsified. Forgetfulness and the transformation of memory imprints over the years are physiological components of the human memory, enabling its adaptation to everyday life. Thus ordinary forgetfulness could be the sign of positive ageing.