What it is
Memory lapses describe brief, transient failures of memory — difficulty recalling a name, word, recent event, or where an object was placed — that may be benign and age-related or may indicate an emerging cognitive condition.
Emerging evidence
Memory Lapses
Brief, transient failures to recall specific information — names, words, recent events, or object locations — which may be normal or may indicate early cognitive change.
CategoryCognitive
Reviewed by Ava Gardner · Integrative Health Researcher
26 March 2026
At a glance
Memory Lapses at a glance
Commonly experienced as
