Q: My friends and I laugh (and complain) all the time that we can't remember anything anymore. What's the cause of memory loss?

A: Let's just say that the old jalopy ain't what it used to be. There are exciting discoveries in the neurosciences daily about brain cells that actually can regenerate. However, memory circuits form an incredibly complex machine inside an even more complex one, the aging brain, inside an aging human body. Whether we will ever be able to restore the jalopy to its former glory is anybody's guess.

Mildred LaFontaine, M.D., is a neurologist based in Concord, N.H., for 18 years. Prior to that she was in private clinical practice in neurology in Philadelphia and was a clinical assistant professor of neurology at the University of Pennsylvania. She received her M.D. from Duke University School of Medicine in 1977 and completed her residency in neurology at the University of Pennsylvania. Her interests in neurology are varied and include stroke, movement disorders, memory loss and Multiple Sclerosis. Dr. LaFontaine believes that listening to the patient is one of the most important skills a physician can have, and that the doctor-patient relationship is a partnership where both the physician and the patient have important contributions to make in the journey toward enhanced health and well-being.