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Improving Memory;
Understanding and Preventing
By Susan Witz, RD, LD
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Memory
Loss
ople of all ages experience “senior moments”—
mes when we forget a familiar name, where we pu
r keys, what we were supposed to get at the sto
a telephone number we just got from informatio
we age, these memory lapses may become more
equent, until we begin to question what is a
rmal decline in memory, and what indicates a mo
rious problem. Brain science researchers have
termined that age-related memory loss is minor
d that we can actually grow new brain cells and
mory paths as we age. The development of new
eatments to help reverse memory loss and other
pes of cognitive impairment is already in
ogress. This article will explore what memory i
w it works, and what we can do to improve our
mory and mental acuity.
Memory includes all that we remember, our
ility to retrieve these memories and our capaci
form new memories. The hippocampus, a primitiv
ructure deep within the brain, plays a major ro
acquiring and establishing new memories. In a
assic medical case occurring in 1953, in an
fort to cure a young man’s epileptic seizures,
rgeons removed his hippocampus. The operation d
duce his seizures, but in the bargain, he
mpletely lost his ability to form and store new
mories from present experiences, even though he
uld still remember information that had already
en stored before his surgery.
In Alzheimer’s disease, the cells of the
ppocampus also undergo gradual but permanent
struction, thus eliminating the ability of
zheimer’s patients to recall things that were
st said or done, yet leaving their old memories
tact until the final stages of the disease. Nea
the hippocampus is the amygdala, a part of the
ain that responds to emotionally powerful
formation or events, which causes the brain to
tain experiences that have emotional impact. On
memory is established or consolidated, it is
ored permanently in the cerebral cortex, the
rge, domed, outer layer of the brain. The corte
divided into several sections, which accommoda
fferent kinds of memories, such as visual,
ditory, touch, language, muscular control and
oblem-solving skills.
Memory can be divided into several distinct
tegories. Short-term or “working” memory holds
formation we need to remember for only a few
conds, minutes or hours; and unless it gets
ored in long-term memory, it is quickly
rgotten. Normally, we can handle only about nin
ems at a time in short-term memory, which
events us from being so overloaded with useless
tails that we can’t think straight. With extra
fort we can learn strategies to help us hold mo
an nine items at a time in working memory, such
the names of numerous people we meet at a part
Long-term memory is the storage place of all
portant and emotionally significant memories. I
cludes names, phone numbers, professional and
creational skills, and all the knowledge we
ssess. Long-term memory, unlike short-term
t
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mory, can store an unlimited amount of data
rmanently. Some memories will fade with lack of
e or access, while others will stay intact
definitely.
Explicit memories are facts we made a conscious
effort to learn which we can recall at will, such
as the names of the continents or the first
president of the U.S.
Implicit memories, also called procedural
memories, are skills we use automatically, such as
driving a car or riding a bike, or those we
acquired with continuous practice over time, such
as playing golf. Another kind of implicit memory is
a deeply emotional one which comes to us
automatically, for instance when we smell a
familiar perfume that reminds us of a certain
person. Flashbacks of traumatic events are also
implicit memories that invade our mental space
without an invitation. These sorts of emotionally
implicit memories are less impaired by aging or
Alzheimer’s disease.
Finally, semantic memories are facts deeply
ingrained, like the names of our siblings or the
days of the week. They are like explicit memories
in that we consciously learned them at one time,
but they are also like implicit memories in that
they require no effort on our part to recall. They
include all the basic information we acquired in
school such as multiplication tables and how to
read and write.
To remember anything, we must first learn it.
This first step is called acquisition. When we
learn new information, it is stored in temporary
pathways, and unless we transfer it into long-term
memory soon, it is lost. How well we remember
things is about 50 percent genetic. We learn new
information most effectively when we pay close
attention to it without distractions, and when we
are well rested and free from major stress.
The second step in making memories permanent is
called consolidation, in which the nerve pathways
to long-term memory are strengthened through
repetition. Consolidation can take weeks or months
to complete. It helps if we can relate new facts to
other similar memories, or if there is an emotional
impact to this information. A good night’s sleep
a f t e r i n p u t t i n g n e w data appears to be essential for
later recall.
The third step in creating new memories is
called retrieval, the ability to access or reactivate them once they have been stored in long-term
memory.
As we get older, it takes more time to remember
things, even when the memory pathways are still
intact. After about age 50, memory difficulties
seem to increase, because the ability to easily
learn and remember new information decreases.
However, an older person can learn and recall new
information as well as a younger person; it just
may take more time and effort to do it.
Regardless of our age, we can all experience
memory loss or distortion, which researchers divide
into seven categories:
• Transience: the tendency to forget facts and
events over time.
• Absent-mindedness: forgetting things because you
didn’t pay enough attention to the information as
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ou were inputting it. For instance, not being able
o find your keys or your glasses, because you did
ot really notice where you set them down.
Blocking: the information you want to retrieve is
locked by another similar name or memory, or it
ust takes longer to find it.
Misattribution: the right memory, but the wrong
ource. You think you heard a particular story from
friend, but you actually heard it on the evening
ews.
Suggestibility:
false memories you have because
omeone has given you other key information while
ou were trying to retrieve a memory. Therefore
vents are altered to include the new but
naccurate information.
Bias: the tendency for your feelings about a n e v e n t t o a l t e r
he way you remember it, for example, as either
uch more negative or positive than it actually
as.
Persistence: the inability to forget unpleasant
emories that keep coming back into your mind
ninvited.
Memory loss may be caused by factors other than
aging, such as physical or mental illness,
addictions and unhealthy lifestyles. Some major
c a u s e s o f m e m o r y problems are: alcoholism, severe or
chronic d e p r e s s i o n , h e a d t r a u m a , h e r e d i t y , h i g h
blood pressure, lack of intellectual stimulation or
physical exercise, sleep deprivation, poor vision
or hearing, thyroid dysfunction, diabetes, stroke,
poor nutrition (especially a lack of vitamin B12),
Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s chorea, multiple
sclerosis, chronic meningitis, Lyme disease, brain
tumors, or dementia, which is characterized b y a
progressive deterioration of memory and all other
b r a i n f u n c t i o n s , t h e m o s t d e v astating of which is Alzheimer’s disease
(AD).
If you think you may be experiencing memory
loss, consult first with your primary care
physician, who can diagnose and treat any medical
condition that may be contributing to your memory
problem. If no probable medical cause is found, you
may be referred to a psychiatrist,
neuropsychologist or a “memory center,” where
extensive tests are performed to assess memory and
other brain functions.
Treating memory problems depends on identifying
the source. If behavioral and medical causes are
ruled out, and early stage AD is ultimately
diagnosed, there are currently three drugs
available (Exelon, Aricept, Cognex) which can
temporarily slow the progress of AD, but ultimately
cannot arrest or cure it. These drugs also have
numerous side effects that may offset the limited
six to seven months of improved quality of life
that they may be able to provide. However, a twoyear study of people with middle-stage AD, found
that taking 2,000 IU of Vitamin E daily, also
slowed the progression of AD for about seven
months, without side effects. Earlier studies
indicated that ginkgo biloba might have a positive
effect on memory and mental acuity, but recent
studies have not found ginkgo to be beneficial.
As of now, there is no magic pill for people
with normal age-related memory loss; however, the
following strategies, which include both behavioral
and cognitive memory-enhancing techniques, can help
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more about preserving your memory
, check out the following books:
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