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Tag: Memory

  • Tips for improving your memory

    Tips for improving your memory

    Andrew Budson and Elizabeth Kensinger, brain scientists, explain how to improve your memory in their book “Why We Forget and How to Remember Better.” Here are some of their research-based solutions.  Why not  give them a try?

    1. If you want to master a new skill (such as tennis or bridge) . . . spend a small amount of time several days a week rather than an extended amount of time less frequently. Our brains process what we learn when we sleep. Our brains also help reinforce what we learn. So, learning something over a longer number of sleep cycles benefits your recall. This rule for what’s called “procedural memory” applies equally to studying for an exam. You’re likely to get better results if you do so over an extended period of time than to cram.
    2. If you want to improve memory . . . consider six weeks of exercise. Exercising expands the volume of our hippocampus, which is vital for our memories; it also releases growth factors in our brains. When you exercise, you increase a “brain-derived  neurotrophic factor” chemical that is thought to boost the number of brain cells in your hippocampus and its volume. Brain cells tend to shrink in number as you age. Exercising is thought to reverse that shrinkage by as many as two years, improving memory function.
    3. If you pay attention . . . you will likely have fewer memory lapses and remember more. To better remember, you need to encode  details. If you don’t pay attention, features are not encoded in your memory.
    4. Calling up a memory . . . can slightly or even radically change the memory. Memories evolve. Your memory of an episode over the long-term is encoded, stored and then retrieved. But, your memory does not end with its retrieval. When you retrieve a memory, you are newly encoding it and updating it with whatever new information you have gathered.
    5. We hold numeric memories in three or four chunks of two numbers. That’s why phone numbers used to be seven digits.
    6. Avoid multitasking . If you multitask, you will weaken your memory. That said, listening to two things at once is harder on your memory than listening and looking at the same time. We have different storage systems for different types of information. Verbal and visual information in our working memory rely on systems in different locations of the brain.  Verbal information is stored in the left part of the brain primarily. Visual information is stored in the right part of the brain.
    7. Relax! Trying to remember someone’s name from a while ago? Think about the last time you saw the person and what you know about the person. Stressing out about the name will make it harder to recall it because stress causes you to think about the stress and deprioritize what you are trying to remember. Interestingly, it is also not helpful to come up with possible names. Having so many names to consider prevents us from recalling the correct name. We often recall the correct name later, after we are no longer caught up in a sea of possible names. (If you’re trying to keep in mind the name of someone you just met, try visualizing it.)
    8. If you want to maximize your ability to store facts in your memory . . . go to sleep. Sleeping frees up memory space in your brain. Your hippocampus, which stores your memories and helps your retrieve them, can only hold so many new memories. But, your cortex takes over from your hippocampus in calling up memories when you are sleeping and stores these memories over the long-term. This also frees up space in your hippocampus for new memories.
    9. If you want to protect your memory . . . don’t take weed. THC in cannabis impairs memory, However, some studies suggest that CBD can improve episodic memory.
    10. If you want a strategy for remembering . . . try this advice from the ancient Greeks. It’s  called a “memory palace” or “method of loci.” Pull up a visual memory of a building or home you know well. Now, in your mind, put things you want to recall into the building in different rooms, in the order that you want to recall them.

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  • How to improve your memory

    How to improve your memory

    Believe it or not, we can improve our memory as we age. Dr. Richard Restak, a leading brain expert, advises that we can and should practice a number of activities to protect our memory. Hope Reese reviews Dr. Restak’s new book, A Complete Guide to Memory: The Science of Strengthening Your Mind, in The New York Times.

    Dr. Restak, a neurologist, prescribes an array of  daily activities to fend off memory loss, which he claims is not inevitable. He starts with this advice: pay more attention. Work to remember names and experiences. Here’s Restak’s trick to remember the name of someone you just met: Visualize it.

    Restak also advises you challenge your memory every day. Instead of depending upon the to-do list you put together, try to recall the items on the list. How? By visualizing them! Similarly, don’t rely on the GPS to get where you need to go. Try to recall the route you’ve taken.

    What else? If you’re not a chess or bridge player, Restak likes the game 20 questions, because it forces you to remember the answer to many questions in order to succeed at the game. You could also play history games. Name the presidents starting with Biden and working backwards. Or, name the Democratic presidents.

    Restak believes that reading novels can also help with memory. I find that I forget these names right after I’ve read them. But, Restak, I think, is more focused on training our minds to retain the various characters’ story lines.

    Don’t let technology distract you, Restak warns. Multi-tasking and looking at your phone or laptop while talking to someone can hurt your memory. You need to focus on the present and your phone or laptop does not permit that.

    Lastly, Restak explains that a poor emotional state–bad moods and depression–can harm memory, restricting focus to sad events and memories. Conversely, getting treatment for depression can improve memory.

    Additional research provides other tips for protecting and, perhaps, improving memory. Exercise could strengthen memory, as could eating green leafy vegetables. Steer clear of foods with added sugars, food with nitrates, alcohol, simple carbohydrates and fried foods. Lastly, memory supplements should be avoided.

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  • The benefits for your brain of eating colorful fruits and vegetables

    The benefits for your brain of eating colorful fruits and vegetables

    Nicholas Bakalar writes for The New York Times on the value of flavonoids, the chemicals that make your fruit and vegetables colorful. A new study published in Neurology finds that colorful fruits and vegetables may have benefits for your brain. So, if you’re feeling forgetful or confused or wanting to stave off forgetfulness and confusion, it could help to eat more brussels sprouts, peaches and tomatoes!

    Researchers studying subjective cognitive decline found that brain health can be a product of the right nutrition. Flavonoids in fruits and vegetables might delay or reduce the likelihood of becoming confused and forgetful as you age. The researchers undertook a large and long observational study covering more than 100,000 participants in their early to mid-70’s on average, over around 20 years. So, the findings give more weight to the theory that nutrition can affect the health of our brains and keep your memory strong. But, it cannot show causality between eating colorful fruits and vegetables and reductions in confusion and forgetfulness.

    Researchers looked at study participants’ consumption of more than 20 types of flavonoids found in carrots, strawberries, spinach, avocados and other fruits and vegetables. (N.B. Mushrooms do not contain flavonoids although they do have beneficial properties.) It asked participants seven questions with yes or no responses regarding their ability to recall recent events, short lists, spoken instructions and finding their way around different locations, as well as their sense of their ability to recall things.

    The researchers found that the participants who were among the top 20 percent in their ability to recall things had the highest consumption of flavonoids. And, they were 19 percent less likely to say that they were forgetful or confused. The researchers concluded that the earlier in life people eat a rich array of flavonoids, the better for the health of their brains and their memory.

    One other noteworthy conclusion: The researchers found that some vegetables and fruits appeared to lead participants to have less confusion than other vegetables and fruits. So, if you’re open to eating raw spinach, winter squash, strawberries and brussels sprouts, that could potentially further reduce your likelihood of being forgetful and confused as you age and, perhaps, even the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

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  • Exercise can help an aging brain

    Exercise can help an aging brain

    We might be getting older but exercise can help our aging brains. Exercise works wonders for our mental and physical health. And, if you’re feeling as if your memory is not as good as it once was, Gretchen Reynolds reports for The New York Times on a new study showing that regular mild exercise can help.

    Yes, even walking at a good clip several times a week can strengthen memory or reverse cognitive decline. The researchers studied middle-aged and older adults who showed signs of memory loss. After walking frequently for a year, their cognitive scores improved.

    The researchers believe that regular exercise helps ensure that blood is flowing at a good clip to your brain. A healthy blood flow means your brain’s neurons are getting the oxygen and nutrients they need. It should have benefits for people with mild or serious memory issues.

    Older people typically have less blood flow to their brains. As you age, the less you exercise, the more likely that your arteries harden

    Unfortunately, it’s pretty typical for people to experience declines in the flow of blood to their brains with age. Exercise helps keep arteries from stiffening and hearts from weakening so that blood flow declines more slowly. Arteries can become less stiff from exercise. Active people, even when at rest, tend to have better memories and thought processes than people who are sedentary.

    Over the course of a year, the study looked at changes in memory and thought processes of 70 people who were 55 and older and had a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment. Half of the study participants were expected to exercise more than they had been exercising–usually walking for 30 minutes five times a week–in a way that increased their heart rates. The other half were expected to engage in stretching and toning exercises without increasing their heart rates.

    The group that engaged in aerobic exercise did better on executive function–planning and decision-making tests–than the group that stretched and toned. But both groups saw their memories and thinking improve some. The study did not determine that aerobic exercise would have greater beneficial effects than stretching, but the researchers assume so.

    The better the blood flow to the brain, the better your recall and thinking ability.

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  • What happens to your memory as you age?

    What happens to your memory as you age?

    For all of us who are aging, there are many benefits. It’s well recognized that we gain expertise and wisdom, a deeper understanding of the way things work and the world around us. You might be surprised to learn that, in addition, we usually retain our long-term memory, reports Daniel J. Levitin, a neuroscientist, in a New York Times op-ed.

    It’s true that most people experience short-term memory failures. Where are my keys? Who is that person I recognize? Why did I walk into this room? What was I looking for? Levitin makes the case that these memory lapses are not necessarily a function of being older. Younger people experience them as well.

    Short-term memory concerns what you are thinking about at any given time and what you intend to do in the immediate future. What will you say? Where will you go? 

    Notably, for people of all ages, it is easy to lose hold of your short-term memory if you are not truly paying attention to what it is you are planning to do. You might tell yourself again and again what it is you plan to do. But, if you are disrupted by a phone ringing or a person seeking your attention, you can easily forget. That’s as true for a young person, as it is for an older person.

    Think about how often your teenage kids forgot where they left their schoolbooks or your twenty-something kids misplaced their cellphones. It’s human nature to lose track of these kinds of things.

    What’s different between young and older adults is that younger people don’t associate their short-term memory lapses with dementia or Alzheimer’s or growing old, as older people often do. Instead, they blame their busy lives or lack of sleep, which older people tend not to do. Another difference between young and older adults is that, as we age, it can take a little longer to grab back our thoughts and intentions and remember exactly what we had planned to say or do. Our brains don’t tend to work as quickly as they once did.

    One explanation for the slowing down of people’s memories as they age is that they have more experiences stored up in their brains, more information filed away to find. They know more. So, they have to search through more to find what they know.

    Another explanation is that, as you age, you store up a lot of first-time experiences, which you can recollect vividly even though they occurred decades ago. Similar experiences at later times never make the same impression as firsts, so you are not as likely to hold onto them. It’s the new and novel experiences that stick.

    Memory failure for most people, even as they get older, is not “inevitable,” says Levitin. Yes, it happens to people with brain disease. But, even very old people do not appear to lose much if any memory. Their long-term memories are often completely working. Just think about all kinds of details you can recall about elementary school, family holidays, friends and firsts. 

    Indeed, Levitin says, people’s memories often improve in certain ways as they get older. Older adults are often better at seeing patterns and predicting future events based on past experience.

    Yes, our lives change in dramatic and less dramatic ways as we age. But, for most of us, memory is perhaps not as big of an issue as we make of it. So long as we are trying new things, exploring new places, exposing ourselves to things new and different, we are likely to make new memories that stick!

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  • Exercise may strengthen memory in healthy older adults

    Exercise may strengthen memory in healthy older adults

    A new study reveals that, for healthy older adults, even a little exercise may strengthen memory. The finding suggests that our brains function better even after a single moderate workout. People who exercise routinely may improve their brain’s functioning all the more.

    The study published in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society looked at the value of short-term exercise, 30 minutes of activity on a stationary bicycle. After the exercise, study participants were told a list of famous and non-famous names and asked to tag them accordingly while inside an MRI machine.

    Researchers found “greater brain activation” and ability to recall famous people in the participants who used the stationary bicycle than in the participants in the control group. The small study involved 26 participants between the ages of 55 and 85.

    The authors believe that the benefits of exercise can grow over time, further enhancing our brain’s ability to function and our recall abilities.

    A large number of other studies reveal the benefits of exercise for the brain and the body. Aerobic exercise that brings your heart rate up and gets you sweating is particularly good for your mental and physical health.

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  • Can eating more mushrooms prevent cognitive decline?

    Can eating more mushrooms prevent cognitive decline?

    There are hundreds of studies on the benefits of different foods and vitamins for your heart, your brain, your muscles and more. More often than not, these studies recommend eating more green leafy vegetables and nuts. The latest study, out of the National University of Singapore (NUS), finds that eating more mushrooms may prevent cognitive decline in older adults.

    Did you even know that mushrooms could have special health benefits? According to this new study, older adults who eat a half plate (300g) of mushrooms each week could reduce their risk of mild cognitive impairment–memory loss or forgetfulness or attention deficits–by half. The senior research fellow on the NUS study suggests this benefit may stem from the compound ergothioneine (ET), which is found in most mushrooms.

    ET (ergothioneine) is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. People cannot synthesize ET on their own. But, you can find ET in a variety of mushrooms, including golden, oyster, shiitake, white button mushrooms, dried and canned mushrooms. Keep in mind that there is no evidence that taking supplements containing ergothioneine is beneficial; it is not the same as eating mushrooms, and supplements have risks.

    Moreover, there is not enough evidence to say definitively that eating mushrooms forestalls cognitive decline. Still, there’s no harm in eating more mushrooms. If you don’t like mushrooms, there are other evidence-based ways to forestall cognitive decline.

    Keeping mentally and physically healthy may prevent cognitive decline and dementia, according to other research. Managing high blood pressure, having a social network , exercising, keeping a healthy weight, managing hearing loss, not smoking and drinking only small amounts of alcohol all may help.

    The NUS study was conducted between 2011 to 2017.

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  • Keeping mentally and physically healthy and engaged may prevent dementia

    Keeping mentally and physically healthy and engaged may prevent dementia

    A 2017 study by a worldwide team of dementia experts, published in Lancet, lays out the latest research findings on dementia, and the news is better than you might expect. There are a range of proven ways, particularly through mental and physical stimulation, to prevent or delay dementia.

    Dementia literally translates from the Latin to mean “out of mind.” It is a brain disorder that affects memory and the ability of people to process information. In 2015, 47 million people around the world, mostly people over 65, were living with dementia at a cost of $818 billion. By 2050, there are expected to be almost 150 million people living with dementia. Today, one in three older people die with dementia.

    Though there is no cure for dementia, people’s daily activities may delay or prevent its onset. And, for people diagnosed with dementia, there are ways to slow down the course of the disease and improve quality of life. The data suggest that people who are better educated, as well as more mentally and physically active and socially engaged, are less likely to be diagnosed with dementia.

    Not surprisingly, social isolation, not having friends or family to talk to and spend time with, and poor education, increases the risk of dementia. In addition, people with hearing loss who are not managing that condition are prone to getting dementia.

    Here are a few ways that have been found to delay or prevent dementia:

    • Treatment for hypertension or high blood pressure is important since high blood pressure has been found to cause dementia.
    • It is possible that more than one in three cases of dementia can be delayed or prevented through exercise, having a social network, and engaging your mind.
    • Smoking less.
    • Managing hearing loss,
    • Keeping your blood sugar level under control if you have diabetes.
    • Maintaining a healthy weight; and,
    • Treating depression.

    Getting a diagnosis of dementia in its early stages can allow for treatment interventions that maximize memory and cognition, and reduce stress and depression. There are many people living with dementia who are able to drive and function independently. You can learn more about the living with dementia movement, here.

    Here are ways to help people living with dementia remain independent. And, here are best practices for communicating with a person with dementia.

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  • Avoid memory supplements

    Avoid memory supplements

    Today, there are about 80,000 dietary supplement products on the market, up from 4,000 25 years ago. Of those, some 500 are memory supplement products. The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) tested three of the most popular memory supplement products to determine whether they contained the ingredients listed on their labels. It found that two of the three did not and warns that they could be dangerous for older adults. Avoid memory supplements as they might contain unsafe ingredients.

    For two of the three memory supplement products the GAO tested, the GAO found they did not contain Ginkgo biloba, even though it was listed as an ingredient on their labels, or the product contained far less than its label indicated. Rather, both memory supplement products contained an unknown substitute, and the GAO could not therefore vouch for the products’ safety. The third memory supplement product tested contained the fish oil and other ingredients listed on its label.

    The GAO warns that heavy-metal contaminants in supplements, such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead and mercury, can be dangerous to people’s health. They may cause cancer. Indeed there are many ingredients in supplements that can cause harm.

    Notwithstanding the fact that supplements are largely unregulated, and they may contain ingredients that are dangerous to people’s health, supplements are a multi-billion dollar industry. Memory supplements, which are a tiny share of the supplement market, generated $643 million in sales in 2015.

    Curiously, the government claims that it does not allow importation of prescription drugs because they may be unsafe, yet it allows the unfettered sale of supplements, which are likely to be more unsafe than drugs bought from verified pharmacies abroad.  Moreover, though the FDA has authority to regulate dietary supplements, generally the FDA tends not to do so and, when it does, it is only after they go to market. The FTC has authority to regulate advertising of supplements but does precious little in that regard to ensure truth in advertising.

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  • Eating green leafy vegetables could help your memory

    Eating green leafy vegetables could help your memory

    A new cognitive study in Neurology suggests that people who eat green leafy vegetables on a daily basis are more likely to hold onto their memory than people who do not. The observational study, which does not show cause and effect, supports the value of the Mediterranean diet on memory and overall mental ability.

    The study followed almost 1,000 people between the ages of 58 and 99 over an average of just under five years. Participants completed two or more cognitive assessments during this timeframe.

    Researchers observed that the people who ate one or two portions of leafy vegetables, such as kale, spinach, collard greens and lettuce, each day had significantly better memory, spacial ability and perceptual speed than those who ate little or none of these leafy vegetables. Specifically, those eating about 1.3 portions of leafy greens on a daily basis had a mental ability 11 years younger in age than those who  did not.

    It appears that leafy greens’ nutrients, including vitamin K, nitrate, folate, beta carotene, phylloquinone, lutein, α-tocopherol, and kaempferol may be responsible in some significant way for preserving people’s mental health. But, beware. It’s not simply about the nutrients in the leafy greens. It’s about their formulation in the leafy greens.

    Nicholas Bakalar reports for The New York Times that there is no evidence that these nutrients in supplements offer the same benefits as they do in leafy greens or any benefits at all. The study’s lead author says that you cannot convert the nutrients’ formulation in a leafy green into a pill.

    What to make of this study? It’s hard to say since it is purely observational on a relatively small sample. But, why not eat more leafy greens? Unlike supplements which carry substantial risks of harm, eating more lettuce and kale appears to be smart nutrition.

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