Memory and Old Age

Memory is generally an organism’s ability to store, recall and retain any information regarding an experience or knowledge. In earlier times, the study of memory was designated to the field of philosophy. But through the development of science and a better understanding of the functions of the brain, the science of cognitive psychology was developed with the establishment of cognitive neuroscience.

The processes involved in the storage, encoding and retrieval of memory is complicated and certain areas of this spontaneous activity is yet to be discovered by science; knowledge regarding the efficiency of a person's memory and the lack of it is limited. Memory disorders are primarily caused by genetic defects, malnutrition and some traumatic experiences which cause damage to certain areas of the brain that responds to the storage, retrieval and encoding of memory. Memory loss is commonly associated with age. Older people are thought to have less efficient memory than younger people. This assumption can be considered accurate for older people with health conditions associated with cognitive decline and a weaker ability to retain information.

Alzheimer's diseases is common in people aged 50 and above. As a person grows older, the brain tends to become less efficient and more subjected to the development of certain health conditions that affects cognitive skills and memory. As a popular example, Alzheimer's disease has varied symptoms including the loss of memory and the inability to store new ones.

There are natural ways of preventing cognitive and memory decline in old age. Eating the right kinds of foods will ensure that the brain gets as much of its needed nutrients to function properly and prevent the onset of brain-related health conditions like Alzheimer's disease. Though studies on Alzheimer's disease and other health conditions associated with cognition and memory say that some people can be more genetically inclined to develop the disease, other studies have found that this can be prevented through certain practices that can significantly improve the function of certain areas in the brain. A study conducted by a team of researchers from Illinois and Pennsylvania, for example, found that moderate aerobic exercise can increase the size of the hippocampus in the brain which leads to the improvement of spatial memory.

Exercise for Better Memory

A study conducted by researchers from the Ohio State University, University of Illinois and University of Pittsburgh found that moderate exercise leads to an increase of the hippocampus area of the brain in older adults. The study was a collaborative project of the three universities and was the first to use subjects who were already suffering from atrophy of the hippocampus. The hippocampus is responsible for the formation of all forms of memory. It was funded by the National Institute of Aging and appeared in the January issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The researchers gathered a group of 120 older adults with sedentary lifestyles with no case of dementia and were randomly divided into two groups. The first group was limited to performing toning and stretching exercises while the other was given an exercise regimen of 40 minutes of track walking each day thrice a week for a period of 1 year. The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to observe the results; the images were taken prior to the start of the study, after six months and at the end of the study.

The group who did aerobic exercise was observed to experience an increase in the volume of the right and left hippocampus of 2.12 and 1.97 percent while the group who were limited to stretching had a decrease of 1.4 and 1.43 percent. The study participants were also asked to undergo spatial memory tests before, after 6 months and at the end of the 1 year study to determine any developments in their memory function. The second group, who were given an exercise regimen of 40 minutes, showed improvements compared to their first test results. The researchers also observed how the increase in hippocampus volume was linked to an increase of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a biomarker associated with a healthy brain.

A professor of psychology from the University of Pittsburgh, Kirk Erickson, said that the atrophy of the hippocampus is inevitable for people at old age. But their study has found that even at this age, the hippocampus remains to be modifiable, and moderate exercise for even a year can increase its volume. Director of the University of Illinois' Beckman Institute, Art Kramer, said that the results of the study suggests that even small amounts of exercise in older adults can lead to significant improvements in brain and memory health. He added that the study is even more important considering the growing population of older adults worldwide.

Enhance Your Memory Naturally

Forgetting is the brain's natural mechanism to protect itself from clutter and too much unnecessary details. A study made by researchers from Stanford University found out that the more a person forgets insignificant memory, the more he is capable of remembering important ones. But forgetting is unhealthy if it is excessive and leads to poor function and performance at home and at work. There are certain foods, activities and things that need to be avoided in order to help in the improvement of memory. Smoking, for example, leads to the constriction of the arteries and prevent enough oxygen to reach the brain.

Studies have found that people with memory disorder deficiency are mostly deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. This compound is naturally found in the brain and is responsible for maintaining and improving a person's ability to remember. Related studies have also found that eating omega-3 fatty acid rich foods can also improve spatial and cognitive skills.

The brain defragments while the person is asleep, just like a computer. At night, the brain takes the time to organize everything that has been learned during the day. A study published in the Nature journal found that sufficient sleep can help improve memory on a long-term basis. And another related study has found that sleeping for a very few hours in a day can hurt a person's ability to remember as much as not sleeping at all.

Sources
eurekalert.org
mindpowernews.com
livestrong.com
mindpowernews.com