You walk into a room but can't remember what you were there for. You bumped into someone at work and forgot their name. In middle age, we can start to feel more ominous, even though most of us have had momentary memory lapse like this. Is it possible that they make us look bad? This could be a sign of dementia. Not only can memory be improved with practice, but it looks like some cases of Alzheimer's may be preventable as well.
Dr Richard Restak is a past president of the American Neurological Association and has lectured on the brain and behavior all over the world. Every time you can't remember where you put your reading glasses, it's a sign of impending doom, according to The Complete Guide toMemory: The Science of Strengthening Your Mind. Anyone over 50 lives in dread of the big A. He writes that the single most common complaint over 55s raise with their doctors is memory lapse.
It is normal to not be able to remember where you left the car when you come out of a store. Restak says that if you don't get what you came into a room for, it's probably because you're busy.
Restak is a clinical professor at the George Washington Hospital University School of Medicine and Health, and he says that the art of memory is the art of attention. There are a lot of sins of memory loss. If you are at a party and you can't remember someone's name, that's because you're still thinking about something. You have to be able to retrieve the information after putting it in memory. It doesn't exist if you haven't consolidated it before.
If you forget where you left your keys, you might find them in the fridge. It is often the first sign of something serious when you open up the refrigerator door. That is a bit far off.
He points out that some people will always have a bad memory. There is a change that seems out of place. It could be worth investigating if you suddenly realize you can't keep track of which cards have been played anymore. Restak has noticed that patients in the early stages of dementia stop reading fiction because it is hard to remember what the character said or did a few chapters earlier.
Restak and his wife are currently on a show called The Count of Monte Cristo, which is an exercise in being able to keep track of characters. If that is already difficult for you, he says it is a good idea to highlight the first mention of a new character and then remind yourself later. To keep yourself reading, do anything you have to.
Like following a recipe, keeping track of fictional plots is an exercise of working memory, as distinct from short-term memory (temporarily storing something like a phone number that you can safely forget the minute you've dial it) or episodic memory, which covers things like recollections of childhood Restak states that working memory is what we use to work with the information we have. Left to its own devices, he points out, memory naturally begins to decline from your 30s onwards, which is why he advocates practicing it daily.
Restak has a lot of tricks and games for honing recall, often involving creating vivid visual images for things you want to remember. He keeps a mental map of his neighbourhood in his head and when he wants to remember something, he will attach it to a specific location on the map. He could imagine his house being transformed into a carton of milk, the library full of loaves rather than books, and a giant cup of coffee spilling out of the restaurant.
The book talks about lifestyle advice. Up to 40% of Alzheimer's cases could be prevented or delayed by limiting 12 risk factors, according to a recent study.
Restak tells his patients to stop drinking by the 70th. He writes that if you're over 65, you typically don't have as many brain cells. It is not good for nerve cells to drink alcohol.
Since getting enough sleep helps brain function, he is an advocate of the short afternoon nap.
Hearing or vision problems make it harder to engage in conversations and hobbies that keep the wheels turning. If you don't have a good level of vision, you'll read less. You will learn less and be less interesting because of that. Socialisation is the most important part of keeping away Alzheimer's and dementia.
Socialisation is the most important part of keeping away Alzheimer’s and dementia, and keeping your memory
Is it true that honing your memory can prevent Alzheimer's? Nobody can say with certainty that nobody else will get dementia. There is probably not a more brilliant woman in Europe, so it shows that it is possible. If you wear your seatbelt and check your speed, you can reduce your chances of getting in an accident.
Some memories are more important than others. Many people have mental images that they would rather forget, such as an embarrassing mistake, a failed relationship, or a traumatic experience.
The film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, about a couple who break up, and use a futuristic machine to zap memories of each other, is just one of many depictions of the idea of wiping the slate clean.
Restak suggests that we already have the technology to prevent people from laying down memories that could haunt them in the future. Drugs used to treat high blood pressure have been found to dull the emotional response when something frightening is recalled, but there is evidence that they also interfere with the consolidation of events as memories.
If we have to send people into terrible scenarios, such as after a shooting, to clean these places up, there are discussions about whether these drugs should be part of the armory. It is a blunt tool and raises complex questions about the ethics of tampering with people's minds.
Don’t just look on dementia as a hopeless situation, although it’s a very frustrating one
There are concerns about what he calls "memory wars" or attempts to influence a nation's collective memory by disputing what a particular event or period means. He says that the way we frame it in our memory is how we see the world around us. If you think you are in a recession, you have certain beliefs and modes of action.
He says that memory is what makes us who we are. It brings families and couples together. Past experience gives people meaning and texture. We are what we are capable of remembering. According to Restak, the more things you can remember, the more enriched your personality is. They don't seem to be the same person according to people. It is possible that memory is related to a sense of self.
It isn't too late to help people hold on to what's left after memory loss sets in. Two patients who were not sure where they were or what day it was were able to play a decent game of bridge. Restak says that if you love someone with Alzheimer's, don't be upset if they make mistakes or have memory problems; instead, meet them where they are now.
They are interested in something. He says that a lot of things remain within normal range even with a pattern of dementia. It's a very sad situation and you don't just look at it that way. There is hope if there is a flickering of memory.
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