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Improving Memory: Understanding
and preventing age-related memory loss
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Feeling forgetful lately? You’re in good company. As many as two-thirds of people age 50 and older notice greater difficulty remembering names, appointments, and other details. Fortunately, the small memory lapses that occur with age are not usually signs of a neurological disorder, such as Alzheimer’s disease, but rather the result of normal changes in the structure and function of the brain.
This report describe age-related changes and other causes of memory impairment—and how to distinguish between them. It also discusses the process of memory evaluation and research on how to prevent memory loss and improve memory. Finally, it addresses the all-important issue of maintaining good cardiovascular health as crucial to preventing cognitive decline.
Prepared by the editors of Harvard Health Publications in consultation with Aaron P. Nelson, Ph.D., Chief of Neuropsychology, Division of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital Assistant Professor of Psychology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. 49 pages (updated 2008).
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Table of Contents:
- What is Memory?
- Short-term memory
- Long-term memory
- How we remember
- As good as memories
in the bank
- Stage one: Acquisition
- Stage two: Consolidation
- Stage three:
Retrieval
- Forgetting: What’s
normal?
- Seven types of
normal memory problems
- How memory changes
with age
- Why memory fades
- When brain cells
die
- Growing new brain
cells
- Causes of memory
impairment
- Neurological
disorders
- Genes
- Cardiovascular
disease and its risk factors
- Hypertension
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Depression
- Hearing loss
- Hormones
- Medications
- Lifestyle factors
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- SPECIAL BONUS SECTION: 10 steps to an optimal memory
- Improving everyday
memory
- Organizational
techniques
- Behavioral strategies
- Memory-enhancing
techniques
- Professional
memory training
- When to see a doctor
- The first step
- Neuropsychological
testing
- Brain-imaging tests
- Medications for memory
impairment
- Drugs for Alzheimer's
disease
- Drugs for mild
cognitive impairmen
- Resources
- Glossary
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Here's an
Excerpt from this Improve Memory Special Health
Report
Although frustrating, memory difficulties caused by the aging process are relatively minor—they won’t interfere with your ability to do your job or run your household. And there are many things you can do to protect and improve your memory. Some health conditions that become more common with age can impair memory, such as high blood pressure. Memory impairment is also among the side effects of some medications, such as sleep aids and some pain relievers. In such cases, controlling health problems and switching medications can often restore memory function.
Contrary to what we once believed, our brains keep growing new neurons (brain cells) and making new connections between them throughout life. This capacity for rejuvenation raises the potential for medical treatments to stop and reverse memory loss, whether from disease or from aging.
Meanwhile, you can support the growth and development of your brain by taking advantage of this hopeful news: people who keep learning and stay mentally active increase their odds of retaining good brain function as they age. The more you use your brain, the stronger it gets—and the longer it stays strong.
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