You're 30 and well on your way to age related memory loss.
March 19th 2008 23:00
Signature Tune
"According to Dr. Yaakov Stern, head researcher on memory and aging at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, it may not be the ability to store memories but the ability to retrieve them that is affected with aging."
In other words, our mental search functions slow down.
So we need to practice the art of retrieval of memory--the memories are there in fact it would seem but our brain needs to find ways to access them more efficiently.
"There are seventy-eight million baby boomers in the country, and memory loss is their No. 1 concern,"
'The Worried Well.' They worry because they have no idea that most memory lapses that begin in middle age are universal and normal."
Warning signs of Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia include asking repetitive questions, loss of verbal or written skills, confusion over daily routines and erratic mood swings.
What boomers are experiencing is referred to as "benign forgetfulness," or AAMI, age-associated memory impairment.
We are actually wired to forget (in order to prioritize what we need to remember, we have to be able to get rid of extraneous details); the differences between his and her memories (men have better spatial and navigational memory; women have better memory for emotional-related experiences and autobiographical events); and the future of memory enhancement .
Any changes in cognition, though, and we're scared as hell. We don't realize that what we're experiencing is a normal slowing-down of memory, not actual memory loss."
As we age, common problems develop. It becomes harder to multi-task, and it takes us longer to process new information. Additionally, at around age 30, human brains begin to shrink by about one-half to 1 percent each year.
Current thinking among neuroscientists is that the brain's frontal lobe, which is involved in searching for information, is one of the first areas to shrink as we age.
When asked what people most typically forget, the No. 1 answer is "names."
It's not just American boomers who experience the problem. The phrase "it's on the tip of my tongue" exists in at least 45 languages.
Those affected can take comfort in the fact that you're in this together.
Of course, you could start your brain health programs now, I've made it easy for you.
| 65 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
Subscribe to this blog
Comment by AmyHuang
Project Job Search
Travel Debate
Travel String
Love Adventures
Comment by katyzzz
Photography Tips
Health Focus
Poetry Lighthouse
MS Paint Art
Comment by Louie
Climate Forum
Climate Red
randomthoughts
Phil's Wellness Tips
happy easter
Comment by Miswanderlust
Killer Beats
Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
Mis