Symptom 8. Misplacing Things: More Than Just Absent-Mindedness in MCI
Misplacing things regularly can indeed be a symptom of mild cognitive impairment. This isn’t about the occasional instance of not being able to locate your glasses or forgetting where you placed your car keys.
Everyone has such moments, and they tend to increase with age. But in the context of MCI, the frequency of such incidents is much higher, and the misplaced items are often found in unusual places.
For instance, a person with MCI may regularly find their wallet in the fridge or their wristwatch in the sugar jar. At first, these occurrences might seem comical or attributable to simple absent-mindedness.
However, when these incidents continue to occur, it becomes apparent that there’s more to it than mere forgetfulness. This type of forgetfulness goes beyond ordinary moments of memory lapse and can be a sign of a deeper cognitive issue.
One key characteristic of this symptom in MCI is that the individual might struggle to retrace their steps to find the misplaced item. While most of us can eventually recall where we placed an item after some thought, people with MCI often find this challenging. They might be unable to remember the sequence of events leading to the misplacement or might even forget that they were looking for something to begin with.
This symptom can be particularly unsettling and frustrating for the individual. The constant misplacement of items can contribute to feelings of anxiety, incompetence, or helplessness. It can also cause practical problems, like being unable to locate essential items like glasses or medication when they’re needed. (8)
