Many adolescents face ups and downs; excitement, growth and discovery are coupled with uncertainty, new stresses and vacillating hormones. Any kind of memory loss that occurs during this time can add an additional layer of angst and worry for both teens and their parents. Understanding the most common causes of short-term memory loss in teens can help families identify a solution and take action.
Substance Abuse
Substance abuse---in particular, the use of marijuana, inhalants, alcohol and ecstasy---can affect a teen's ability to remember, according to the Goryeb Children's Hospital's Teen Health FX website. In the case of inhalants, Teen Help notes that they can compromise the ability of the body to supply adequate amounts of oxygen to the brain, impacting both short- and long-term memory. In addition, the Teen Drug Abuse website lists memory loss as one of the many symptoms that characterize drug use that has advanced into a true addiction.
Mental Health
An adolescent's mental health can be related to memory. The National Youth Network cites an April 2002 Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter report stating that many parents do not recognize teen depression symptoms. The report lists memory loss as one of the many often unrecognized symptoms. Anxiety and stress can also alter short-term memory functioning, according to Teen Health FX.
Nutrition
A teen whose diet lacks certain nutrients may exhibit memory problems. The brain requires a lot of energy from foods that bring oxygen and transport vitamins to the brain, according to Teen Health FX. Iron found in red meat, certain types of seafood, beans and dried fruits benefit memory functioning by bringing oxygen to the brain. The site lists vitamin B---found in foods like nonfat milk, yogurt, wheat germ, bananas, whole grains and green peas---as another nutrient related to memory. A diet that lacks healthy foods can cause the brain to work more slowly, affecting short-term memory.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea can cause memory loss. A 2008 Science Daily article summarizing an article the June 2008 edition of the "Neuroscience Letters Journal" describes a study in which University of California, Los Angeles, researchers studied sleep apnea patients and identified tissue loss in the brain regions that store memory. Sleep apnea is caused by a blocked airway that halts breathing during sleep. University of South Carolina Aiken Neurobiology Professor Ronald Harper notes the findings show that apnea can lead to "serious brain injury that disrupts memory and thinking."
Diagnosing sleep apnea is difficult and usually requires a teen to spend a night being monitored at a sleep clinic. In 2005, Science Daily reported about another diagnostic methodology used by Case Western University School of Dental Medicine Orthodontist Dr. Mark Hans. Hans' study used X-rays to examine the position of the tongue and hyoid bone, a bone located in the neck, to accurately identify 70 percent of teens with sleep apnea.
