By Celeste Robb-Nicholson, M.D.
Healthful habits help protect memory, but the aging brain may need an extra tweak or two to stay sharp.
If you're age 50 or over, chances are, you've noticed some decline in your ability to remember things. Perhaps you can't recall why you raced to the pantry, or you forget the names of people you just met at a party.
While most people notice memory changes with age, only a small percentage -- about 10 percent by age 65 -- experience actual dementia, a serious and progressive decline in memory and cognitive abilities. Such significant loss of mental functioning is due not to aging, but to organic disorders, injury or neurological illness. Good general health habits help protect cognitive function and reduce the risk of dementia. Studies have shown that women are less likely to experience cognitive decline or dementia if they stay physically active, get enough sleep, don't smoke, reduce their stress levels, maintain a rich social network, limit alcohol to one drink or less a day, and eat a balanced diet low in saturated and trans fats. And physical problems or medication side effects are less likely to disturb memory in women who seek and follow medical advice.
Normal age-related changes in the brain can slow some cognitive processes, making it a bit harder to learn new things quickly or to ward off distractions. Fleeting memory difficulties ("Where did I leave the keys?") may occur more often. These changes are considered normal, but they can be frustrating. The good news is that, thanks to decades of research, most of us can sharpen our minds with proven, do-it-yourself strategies. Here are some ways to boost your ability to remember as you age:
1. Believe in yourself. Myths about aging can contribute to a failing memory. Middle-aged and older learners do worse on memory tasks when exposed to negative stereotypes about aging and memory, and better if exposed to messages about memory preservation into old age. If you believe that having a good or poor memory is out of your control, you'll also be less likely to put in the effort to maintain or improve your memory skills and may thus experience greater cognitive decline as you age. Believing that you can improve -- and translating that belief into practice by developing memory skills and challenging your mind -- will keep you sharper.
2. Economize your brain use. If you don't need to use mental energy remembering where you laid your keys or the time of your granddaughter's birthday party, you'll be better able to concentrate on learning and remembering new and important things. Take advantage of calendars and planners, maps, shopping lists, file folders and address books to keep routine information accessible. Designate a place at home for your glasses, purse, keys and other items you use frequently. Removing clutter from your office or home will minimize distractions so you can focus on the new information you want to remember.
3. Organize your thoughts. New information that's broken into smaller chunks, such as the hyphenated sections of a phone or Social Security number, is easier to remember than a single long list, such as financial account numbers or the name of everyone in a classroom. When presented with something lengthy to remember, divide it into smaller pieces (in the classroom, separate the children by row and gender), or notice patterns, such as repeated digits or all the children with long hair.
4. Use all your senses. The more senses you use when you learn something, the more of your brain will be involved in retaining the memory. For example, odors are famous for conjuring memories from the distant past, especially those with strong emotional content, such as visits to a cookie-baking grandparent.
A study published in the journal Neuron (May 2004) demonstrated that odors can also improve memories of more routine matters. Adults were shown a series of emotionally neutral images, each presented along with an odor. They were not asked to remember what they saw. Later, they were shown a set of images, this time without odors, and asked to indicate which they'd seen before. Recall was excellent for all odor-paired pictures, and the best for those associated with pleasant smells. During brain imaging, the scientists found that the primary odor-processing region of the brain (the piriform cortex) became active when people saw objects they'd originally seen with odors, even though odors were no longer present and the subjects hadn't tried to remember them.
5. Expand your brain. Widen the brain regions involved in learning by reading aloud, drawing a picture, or writing down the information you want to learn (even if you never look back at your notes). Just forming a visual image of something makes it easier to remember and understand; it forces you to make the information more precise.
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