Trevor Ponder Human Memory

An interesting and free article from the Journal of the American Medical Association follows a particular 60-yr old woman and her memory capability. JAMA. 2008;300(13):1566-1574.

Many older individuals experience or demonstrate cognitive impairment that is significantly abnormal for their age and education yet beneath the threshold for a diagnosis of dementia. This mild cognitive impairment causes minimal functional impairment and is often overlooked in clinical settings, yet affected individuals are at heightened risk for a range of adverse outcomes including conversion to dementia. The case of Ms E, a 60-year-old woman with mild memory impairment and white matter lesions on magnetic resonance imaging, provides an opportunity to consider the questions that face patient, family, and clinicians when mild cognitive symptoms prompt a search for diagnosis and management options. Discussion of her case reviews mild cognitive impairment with emphasis on an evidence-based approach to evaluation and treatment, including management of comorbid medical conditions, lifestyle changes, and pharmacotherapy.

You can read the full study here: http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/300/13/1566

Memory Loss Memory Loss

A man was once heard saying his memory was dramatically improved by the pills his Doctor had given him. Now if only he could remember to take the pills everyday he would be great!

Everyone at one time or another has had that nagging feeling of forgetting something. Where did you set your keys down? You wrote a grocery list out somewhere, where did you put it? Perhaps you were thinking of a new movie you wanted to go and see but you can’t remember the title of the movie?

Our lives happen at a frantic pace. School, sports, work, families, there are so many things going on it can be difficult to keep up. Many people use calendars, electronic organizers, and computer software to try to keep them on task.

The problem is, as great as all of these tools are, they rely on the people who use them to put in the information required. So you have to remember everything in the first place so you can then forget it and let your computer organizer remember for you.

It sounds complicated but the more you can write down and “forget”, the better off you are. Have you ever met someone who was always on time, organized, and had a great memory? The chances are they didn’t have that great of a memory they just had a great follow up system that allowed their memory to remain uncluttered.

If you are like most people and have a very hectic life, you have a hard time remembering everything. When you meet somebody for the first time, are you thinking about memorizing their name? The chances are you are thinking about something else. Did you feed the dog this morning? Is the iron off or did you leave it on? Did you pay the mortgage?

Many people say they are bad with names but that isn’t the real issue. The problem is they don’t concentrate when they meet someone long enough to try to remember their name.

There are many different organizational systems and books written on how to better organize yourself. No matter what system you choose, make sure you pick one you can stick with. A sheet of paper with a list on it is better than nothing.

With a system of organizing you don’t have to constantly be thinking about what you need to do. You can focus on other things such as your kids, their friends, your friends, your career.

You also need to make sure you are getting enough quality sleep, the right amount of nutritious meals each day, and some exercise, even if it’s just walking 20-30 minutes a day. You see the effects on cars when they are not properly maintained; your body and mind aren’t any different.

Keeping yourself fueled, rested, and exercised will help your memory and the sharpness of your thoughts. It is much easier to have a great memory when you are feeling good about yourself and your life.

http://www.elementsofmemory.com

Lifestyle for Better Memory improve memory, Memory Loss

Have you ever had a moment where you couldn’t think of the word you were trying to use? Many times the person we are talking with will provide the missing word and we go on about our way. But what if this happens to you with increasing frequency? Should you be worried?

If you find you are having trouble remembering words to use and forgetting other little things in your life you may need to sit down and assess what’s going on. Although probably not serious, lots of little indications of short term memory loss could eventually be adding up to a bigger problem with your health.

For most people the single biggest cause of memory loss is stress. Much of the stress is self induced such as hectic schedules, over spending, too much work, etc. However if you find that you are increasingly struggling with your short term memory it might be time to make some choices regarding the pace of your life.

The most important word you may forget on a daily basis is no. When you are tempted to volunteer at the school, the soccer team, the neighborhood, say no or at least say not right now. By keeping your level of activities to a manageable level you can keep your stress down and your short term memory operating efficiently.

Another reason you may have trouble remembering things could be your body’s chemistry, in particular your blood sugar. Make sure you are keeping your body filled with quality fuel. Your care doesn’t run well when it’s empty and neither will you.

Along this same line of thought getting the appropriate amount of sleep is perhaps the single biggest factor of short term memory loss in otherwise healthy people. Studies have shown most people need between 6 and 8 hours per night of quality sleep. Adults are not able to catch up on sleep by getting extra hours on weekends. The key is 6-8 hours of quality sleep night after night.

People who are sleep deprive experience short term and long term memory loss and it is directly related to their lack of sleep. Experts have studied people with a disease called sleep apnea which inhibits the body from getting into deep sleep. When treated so they could sleep well, these former sleep deprived individuals performed much better mentally and had much better functioning short term memory.

While you may not suffer from sleep apnea, make sure you are getting quality rest. If you still find you are struggling with your vocabulary set aside some time to read every single day. Find books that interest you and make sure to write down any words you don’t know. In this way you can improve your vocabulary and have fun while doing it.

Another way to improve your vocabulary is to take a writing class through your local city, community college, or even online.

Practice makes perfect and that is very true when it comes to vocabulary. You may not even know what words are escaping you but you can catch them if you try.

Memory Loss improve memory, Memory Loss