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    Improving Memory: Understanding age-related memory loss
    Improving Memory: Understanding age-related memory loss
    Improving Memory: Understanding age-related memory loss
    Ebook151 pages2 hours

    Improving Memory: Understanding age-related memory loss

    By Kirk R. Daffner, MD

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    In many ways, our memories shape who we are. They make up our internal biographies—the stories we tell ourselves about what we've done with our lives. They tell us who we're connected to, who we've touched during our lives, and who has touched us. In short, our memories are crucial to the essence of who we are as human beings. Age-related memory loss, then, can represent a loss of self. It also affects the practical side of life. Forgetting how to get from your house to the grocery store, how to do everyday tasks, or how you are connected to family members, friends, and other people can mean losing your ability to live independently. It's not surprising, then, that concerns about declining thinking and memory skills rank among the top fears people have as they age.
    There's no getting around the fact that the ability to remember can slip with age. Many of these changes are normal, and not a sign of dementia. Improving Memory, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School, helps you understand the difference between normal, age-related changes in memory and changes caused by dementia. The report discusses the different types of dementia and the treatments available for them. Equally important, it offers tips on how to keep your brain healthy, and how to help improve your memory if you're living with age-related memory loss. One of the key components of this memory-saving program is to keep the rest of your body healthy. Many medical conditions—from heart disease to depression—can affect your memory. Staying physically and mentally active turns out to be among the best prescriptions for maintaining a healthy brain and a resilient memory.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBookBaby
    Release dateMay 8, 2014
    ISBN9781614010227
    Improving Memory: Understanding age-related memory loss

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      Improving Memory - Kirk R. Daffner, MD

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      IMPROVING MEMORY

      SPECIAL HEALTH REPORT

      Medical Editor

      Kirk R. Daffner, M.D., FAAN

      J. David and Virginia Wimberly Professor of

      Neurology, Harvard Medical School

      Chief, Division of Cognitive and Behavioral

      Neurology, Brigham & Women’s Hospital

      Writer

      Christine Junge

      Editor, Special Health Reports

      Kathleen Cahill Allison

      Art Director

      Heather Derocher

      Production Editors

      Mary Kenda Allen

      Melissa Rico

      Illustrators

      Scott Leighton

      Michael Linkinhoker

      Published by Harvard Medical School

      Anthony L. Komaroff, M.D., Editor in Chief

      Edward Coburn, Publishing Director

      Copyright ©2012 by Harvard University. Written permission is required to reproduce, in any manner, in whole or in part, the material contained herein. Submit reprint requests in writing to:

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      ISBN 978-1-61401-005-0

      The goal of materials provided by Harvard Health Publications is to interpret medical information for the general reader. This report is not intended as a substitute for personal medical advice, which should be obtained directly from a physician.

      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

      Changes in brain structure

      Memory impairment: Normal aging or brain disease?

      Mild cognitive impairment

      Dementia

      Health and lifestyle factors linked to memory problems

      Obesity

      Cardiovascular disease and its risk factors

      Diabetes

      Metabolic syndrome

      Depression

      Hearing loss

      Hormones

      Medications

      10 ways of life to promote memory health

      SPECIAL BONUS SECTION: Improving everyday memory

      When to see a doctor

      Medications for memory impairment

      Resources

      Glossary

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      Go to www.health.harvard.edu to subscribe to HEALTHbeat. This free, weekly email newsletter brings you health tips, advice, and information on a wide range of topics.

      You can also join in discussion with experts from Harvard Health Publications and folks like you on a variety of health topics, medical news, and views by reading the Harvard Health Blog (www.health.harvard.edu/blog).

      Dear Reader,

      Years ago, I saw a patient in the beginning stages of dementia. She still had moments of great clarity, and in one of those times she lamented, I’m vanishing as a person. Her words have stuck with me because they seemed like such a lucid description of the impact of dementia on a person.

      In many ways, our memories shape who we are. They make up our internal biographies—the stories we tell ourselves about what we’ve done with our lives. Our memories tell us who we’re connected to, who we’ve touched during our lives, and who has touched us. In short, our memories are crucial to the essence of who we are as human beings.

      Memory loss also affects the practical side of life. Remembering how to get from your house to the grocery store or how to do the tasks that make up your job allows you to take care of your needs. That’s what makes dementia so scary—losing your memory means both losing your ability to live independently and not being able to remember your past experiences. It’s not surprising, then, that concerns about cognitive decline rank among the top fears people have as they age.

      And there’s no getting around the fact that the ability to remember does change with age. Many of these changes are normal, and not a sign of dementia. As you’ll read about in the section of this report titled Forgetting: What’s normal?, many of these changes increase as the brain ages. Unfortunately, some people have the more serious memory problems associated with dementia. We will review the different forms of dementia, too.

      If your memory is still healthy—even if you’re forgetting a bit more than you’d like—now’s the time to commit to protecting your brain from ill consequences. When it comes to the brain, one key to successful aging is what experts call cognitive reserve, the brain’s capacity to withstand damage associated with disease or injury. Although scientists once thought that the adult brain did not grow new brain cells (neurons), we now know that the brain keeps making new cells and connections throughout life. This plasticity, or ability to change, means that you may be able to have an impact on neuronal growth. This report discusses some new research on this subject and gives examples of memory strategies that may help.

      Though the connection may not seem obvious at first, keeping the rest of your body healthy is a crucial way to preserve your memory. Many medical conditions—from heart disease to depression—can affect your memory. Staying physically and mentally active turns out to be among the best prescriptions for maintaining a healthy brain and a resilient memory.

      Sincerely,

      Kirk R. Daffner, M.D.

      Medical Editor

      Dr. Daffner would like to acknowledge Dr. Marilyn Albert and Dr. Aaron

      Nelson, the previous editors of this Special Health Report, who provided the foundation for the current presentation, and thank the Wimberly family, the Muss family, and the Mortimer/Grubman family for their generous support.

      What is memory?

      Memory is often used as a catchall phrase referring to a person’s general thinking (cognitive) abilities. Actually, memory is just one—albeit very important—aspect of cognition. It refers specifically to all that you remember as well as your capacity for remembering. Not all memories are created equal. Some memories are meant to be retained for a short period and then discarded. For example, you remember the telephone number of the local pizza place only long enough to make the call. But memories that are more important are stored in the brain and can be retrieved at will: the names of close friends and relatives, the multiplication tables, your phone number, and other information you use regularly. Certain kinds of information can be memorized only if you concentrate, whereas other kinds of memories, such as the faces of people you see regularly and the steps of simple everyday routines like brushing your teeth, are absorbed without conscious effort. The process of learning new information, storing it, and recalling it involves a complex interplay of brain functions (see Figure 1).

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