DH not knowing obvious things he used to know

My DH has realised how much of his degree he has forgotten...and often basics too. He tends to forget things the way most people forget a word - that momentary lack of recall. If it's a "yes of course" situation then it's probably fine. Anything else I'd get checked out. I'd probably not immediately remember the fish thing but decidedly the insect one.

I have an Oxbridge degree and blame my occasional inability to remember things on the menopause. However, I'd say the examples you gave are pretty fundamental facts for someone with his sort of education (for me, that would be like forgetting that Shakespeare wrote A Midsummer Night's Dream). Definitely worth a visit to the GP.

I have a very high IQ (it's relevant) and I'm prone to complete lapses in memory around stuff I should definitely know (and have known) e.g. the other day I couldn't remember if a whale is a mammal. I think for me it's because my brain works a bit fast and then I forget simple stuff (I wonder if I have some sort of ADHD). But the important thing is that once I think about it (and google if required) I think "oh yes, of course that is the case, I knew that and was being ridiculous". I can laugh at my own dopiness...and know it's just because I've got too much going on in my head. So I think his reaction is really important - if he's confused or disorientated or worried himself then it's likely much more serious than if he just thinks his "moment" is funny.

I think it depends on whether you’re interested or not.
I grew up in an aggressively musical (classical) family, but although I feigned interest and could recognise composers and pieces when young, since I’ve grown and made my own way, I can no longer tell someone what music they’re hearing, or who composed it, as I would have been able to when I was younger. It’s simply irrelevant to me now - as I’ve discovered what I’m interested in, and have discarded the irrelevant (pressed upon me) knowledge of my youth…

That's not quite the same as forgetting that insects have six legs.

I never knew that about fish tbh

OP not to worry you but my dad was diagnosed with a disease called CADASIL. It’s hereditary (cheers dad!) and was diagnosed at 49. It’s basically a form of dementia

You haven't provided enough information or context for this to be determined. Is he stressed or unwell? The first call should be the GP

It depends what type of dementia. What you describe is Alzheimer's. There are other kinds - and one of my mum's first identifiable symptoms was forgetting family stories from years back that she had told and laughed at often. It wasn't until some time later that she started forgetting how to do things or recent conversations.

Dementia initially affects your short term memory not long term. Like another poster said you initially notice people starting repeating themselves a lot and they lose the ability to do difficult tasks such as managing finances. This doesn’t sound like dementia at all

Part of the definition of "insect" is having 6 legs. Millipedes are arthropods - related to insects but not actually insects.
You can thank the Year 4 Science curriculum for me knowing this! 😆

I would be very worried by this (I also studied a science subject at Oxford and am older than your husband and simply cannot imagine forgetting these things). I'd like to ask, did he remember these things when you reminded him? Can he remember them after you have reminded him, like a day later? Did he seem at all concerned that he had forgotten?

If he is not concerned by this lapse in memory, I'd like to point out that my mother has fronto-temporal dementia which is a) likely to have an earlier onset and b) one of the main features is a lack of self-awareness about the person's difficulties. It's very different from Alzheimer's and if you can get him to a doctor, perhaps you should raise the possibility of other types of dementia. The presentation of FTD can be very different indeed from more common types and there is a lack of awareness about it even among medical professionals.

I wish you lots of luck and hope that it's nothing serious.

Surely everyone will remember that fish are cold blooded and insects have 6 legs.
It isn't like forgetting metabolic pathways or something so yes I sadly would be worried. See a GP as soon as possible.

How does he seem in himself? Have you noticed any other changes for example irritability, sleep disturbance or low mood (depression)? I would be a little concerned about him forgetting those things and possibly keep an eye out for any other worrying symptoms.

I apologise.

Well when you put it that way it’s different, cold blooded fish and insect legs will seem random and unimportant to almost everyone who reads your post. But him essentially forgetting red means stop in traffic tells a different story.

Has he mentioned anything about his memory?

I’d be slightly worried, yes. Try to encourage him to get full bloods done. It could be something simple.

Honestly? If you're worried, get him to the doctors. At his age, there is absolutely no harm in ruling out an infection somewhere as they can cause mental state alterations.

Please don't derail. The OP has raised valid concerns. I would certainly seek a GP appointment, "insects have six legs" is ingrained general knowledge (for the OPs OH) and it is not normal to forget such things, I would say.

Insects and millipedes (and stuff!) are both arthropods.

There are four sorts of arthropods: spiders, crustaceans, insects and millipedes/centipedes.

I think this could be a concern. I'm 70 and I know these things without having to think about them. If I forgot them I would expect my family to be worried about me.

I think it would be worth trying to persuade your DH to see the GP. Dementia - which I assume is what you are worried about - is not the only cause of memory problems and mental confusion. Medication or a lack of certain vitamins, etc can cause similar symptoms and can be tackled quite easily.

I wish you and your DH well.

Agree with this. Please try to persuade him to see his GP as soon as possible. Hopefully, it will turn out not to be the case and would set your mind at rest, but if not, the earlier it is treated, the better.

Remember that programme 'are you smarter than a 10 year old' I think that just goes to show that people do forget certain things...

Just the fact you have posted suggests you are worried and it’s seems outside of what has been normal for others you know.

How agreeable would he be to speaking to his doctor?

How is his health in general? There is a link between diabetes and cognitive decline. If you are worried I would encourage him to get blood tests for metabolic health and vitamin deficiencis in the first instance...

I think some people are derailing the thread with talk about how many legs an insect has. The OP is rightly worried about her husband's memory - that's the focus of the thread.