BOSTON, MA — Whatever your age, you can take steps today to protect your memory, according to Improving Memory: Understanding Age-Related Memory Loss, a new report from Harvard Medical School. Start with good health habits that can lower your risk for memory-impairing illnesses and reduce the likelihood that you’ll need medications whose side effects can affect brain function. Research shows that the following additional strategies, among others, may also help preserve your memory.
Keep learning. Exercising your brain with challenging activities is believed to stimulate communication between brain cells. Develop new skills or relearn old ones that you may have set aside years ago.
Don’t smoke. Smoking can harm your brain as well as your heart and lungs. Smokers perform worse than nonsmokers in studies of memory and thinking skills.
Manage stress. Stress is distracting, which can cause poor learning and memory. Being under sustained stress for many weeks can impair memory by altering brain chemistry and damaging the part of the brain called the hippocampus.
Be social. Close ties with others can improve the mental performance of older people. Social engagement often goes hand in hand with intellectually stimulating activities, which in turn support good memory function. Social relationships can provide support during stressful times, reducing the damaging effects of stress.
Protect your brain. Head trauma is a major cause of memory impairment and a risk factor for future development of dementia. Use appropriate gear during high-speed activities and contact sports, and always buckle up.
Improving Memory: Understanding Age-Related Memory Loss is a 56-page report edited by Aaron Nelson, Ph.D., Chief of Neuropsychology at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital. This report also covers:
- the anatomy and physiology of memory
- causes of memory loss
- what's normal and what's not, and when to see a doctor
- medications for memory impairment
- strategies to improve your memory and prevent memory loss.
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