Many people become worried about forgetfulness as they age. Mild forgetfulness, such as losing things from time to time, can be a normal part aging. Consider these techniques to help manage memory and changes in memory: *Start and follow a daily routine *Stay in activities that help both mind and body *Get enough sleep, generally… Continue reading Is It Just Forgetfulness?
Tag: memory
Get Started Preserving Your Memories
If you’re old enough to remember the John F. Kennedy assassination or the Cuban missile crisis, you’re probably realizing that your memory isn’t what it used to be. Indeed, the Centers for Disease Control has reported that one in eight Americans over the age of 60 complains of worsening memory loss. The problem may be… Continue reading Get Started Preserving Your Memories
Some Dementia-Test Results May Be Biased
Quick tests known as “brief cognitive assessments” help doctors decide whether a patient should be given a full evaluation for dementia. But the results can be misleading. Three tests examined in the study were the Mini-Mental Stats Examination, which analyzes orientation to time and place and the ability to remember words; the Memory Impairment Screen,… Continue reading Some Dementia-Test Results May Be Biased
Measuring Memory
Researchers have come up with a simple test that can yield profound results. The word-recall quiz accurately predicted whether people had elevated brain levels of beta-amyloid, a protein that has been linked with the increased risk of mild cognitive impairment and the development of Alzheimer’s. The investigators say they hope the procedure, which puts pressure… Continue reading Measuring Memory
Sleep and Memory: How They Work Together
“Sleep on it.” We’ve long known that a good night’s sleep confers important benefits on mood, alertness, concentration, and judgment. Research over more than a century has also established that sleep plays an important role in memory retention. More recently, studies have begun to establish more precisely how the connection between sleep and memory works.… Continue reading Sleep and Memory: How They Work Together
Brain Stimulation Works for Younger Adults, not Older Ones
Brain stimulation, touted as a way to improve memory, works in younger adults but not older ones, new research shows. In a study published online for a forthcoming special issue on the cognitive neuroscience of aging from the Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago tested these outcomes by… Continue reading Brain Stimulation Works for Younger Adults, not Older Ones
Dim Light May Make Us “Dimwits”
Researchers say that spending too much time in dimly lit rooms may actually change the brain’s structure and hurt one’s ability to remember and learn. Neuroscientists from Michigan State University studied the brains of Nile grass rats (which, like humans, are diurnal and sleep at night) after exposing them to dim and bright light for… Continue reading Dim Light May Make Us “Dimwits”
Writing to Preserve and Revive Memory
If you’re old enough to remember the John F. Kennedy assassination or the Cuban missile crisis, you’re probably realizing that your memory isn’t what it used to be. Indeed, the Centers for Disease Control has reported that one in eight Americans over the age of 60 complains of worsening memory loss. The problem may be… Continue reading Writing to Preserve and Revive Memory
Curcumin Improves Memory and Mood
Turmeric contains curcumin, which has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Lovers of Indian food, give yourselves a second helping: Daily consumption of a certain form of curcumin — the substance that gives Indian curry its bright color — improved memory and mood in people with mild, age-related memory loss, according to the results… Continue reading Curcumin Improves Memory and Mood
Study: A Need to Rethink Hospice Admissions
Many older adults are admitted to hospice for only a short amount of time, even though they have been experiencing symptoms months before the end of life, researchers say. The Yale-led study highlights the need for earlier hospice admission or other strategies to address such cases. The study was published on September 12 in the… Continue reading Study: A Need to Rethink Hospice Admissions
How Neurons in the Brain Fuel Learning and Memory
Researchers from King’s College London have discovered a molecular mechanism that enables neuronal connections to change through experience, thus fuelling learning and memory formation. The findings were published in July 2017 in the journal Neuron and have the potential to reveal new therapeutic strategies for neurological and psychiatric disorders. A release from King’s College explains… Continue reading How Neurons in the Brain Fuel Learning and Memory
“Super Ager” Brains Maintain High Volume in The Cortex
So-called normal agers lost volume in their cortex twice as fast as SuperAgers, a rare group of people aged 80 and above whose memories are as sharp as those of healthy persons decades younger, according to a new study. “Increasing age is often accompanied by ‘typical’ cognitive decline or, in some cases, more severe cognitive… Continue reading “Super Ager” Brains Maintain High Volume in The Cortex
The Aging Brain
The brain changes as we get older, but not everyone’s brain changes the same way. The experts from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) explain how our brain functions and what we might expect as we get older: The brain controls many aspects of thinking—remembering, planning and organizing, making decisions, and much more. These cognitive… Continue reading The Aging Brain
Who Has the Better Memory, Men or Women?
In the battle of the sexes, women have long claimed that they can remember things better and longer than men can. A study published in November 2016 in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS, proves them right. Middle-aged women outperform age-matched men on all memory measures, although memory does decline as… Continue reading Who Has the Better Memory, Men or Women?
The Latest News about HRT and Your Memory
Contrary to popular belief, taking estrogen after menopause may not affect the memory and thinking abilities of healthy women no matter when the treatment is started, according to research is published in the July 20th, 2016 online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The recent study is among the… Continue reading The Latest News about HRT and Your Memory
“Emotional Memory” in Older Adults
In a study exploring the relationship between memory for specific past experiences and recovery from strong negative emotions, researchers say that episodic memory be more important in helping midlife and older adults recover from a negative event than it is for younger adults. Rebecca Ready, associate professor of psychological and brain sciences at the University… Continue reading “Emotional Memory” in Older Adults
More Exercise May Reduce Memory Loss
Older people who are physically active have larger gray matter volume in key brain areas responsible for memory and cognition, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UCLA. The findings, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, showed also that people who had Alzheimer’s disease or… Continue reading More Exercise May Reduce Memory Loss
What Events Do We Recall Best?
When it comes to memory, we’re likelier to recall the things that may help us in the future, according to new research from the University of California, Davis, Center for Neuroscience. The finding was published in the journal Neuron. “Rewards help you remember things, because you want future rewards,” said Professor Charan Ranganath, a UC… Continue reading What Events Do We Recall Best?