Gracefully Aging Your Brain

The brain is obviously one of the most important organs of our bodies. We use it all the time, but how often do we actually think about the wellness of our brain?

Staying fit seems to be a growing concern in these modern times. People want to age gracefully by keeping a healthy diet, exercising regularly and staying away from stress. People may not know it, but these practices, which are mostly done for physique, can actually help your brain age with grace.

When the Brain Grows Old

What happens to the brain as we grow old? The brain has the capability to continuously grow neurons, even in old age.  However, as people get older, the brain takes a longer time to process the electrical response to a stimulus as proven empirically by Professor Walter R. Bixby of the University of Maryland and his research team.

The Fine Line between Memory Loss and Absentmindedness
Car keys are missing, pens have disappeared, and deadlines were missed.  Is this a cause of memory loss or absentmindedness?  Is it leading to something more serious or just plain falling victim to today's fast changing world?

Memories are powerful images recollected by the mind from the past.  However, critics describe memory as not literally taken from experience.  An individual's personality, hopes, beliefs, and needs influence what the past means for each of us.  It is for this reason that forgetting the bits and pieces of the past or some information can be attributed to a person's capacity to be focused.

There are two sides that actually dispute and bring together studies and explanations whether forgetfulness is a matter of memory loss or just simple absentmindedness. More often than not, people blame forgetting things to absentmindedness but this is not always the case.

Memory loss can affect any one, young or old, rich or poor, male or female, single or not.   Professor Daniel Shacter of Harvard University identified 7 sins of memory, one of which is absentmindedness.

This type of being forgetful happens when an individual does not pay enough attention to things happening around him.  Forgetting where eyeglasses were placed is because focusing where they were placed before hand was not established; hence, the brain did not securely register the information.  In other words you did not consciously instruct your brain to remember where you placed them.

Absentmindedness also involves being not focused on certain cues or hints that are essential to remind a person for example when to take pills or meet someone for lunch.

The doctor could have specifically instructed the patient to take the medicine after dinner but absentminded, forgot to do so.  That is because the patient did not pay close attention to the cue word: dinner.  Having dessert or watching TV could serve as hints that dinner has ended so taking the medicine is next.

Psychology critics say that absentmindedness is a sin or omitting valid information.  It is a breakdown of elements between memory and special attention.  When a person is preoccupied with many things, he gets distracted and does not focus on things that need to be remembered.

According to Dr. Shacter, "Usually when you are being absentminded, it's that your conscious processing is focused on something other than the task at hand; you are thinking about something else."

One of his famous examples is the story about YoYo Ma, the cellist.  Wherein this man gets inside the taxi in New York City and places his $2.5 Million cello in the trunk.  He pays the taxi driver upon arriving to his destination, gets out, walks away, but leaving the $2.5 Million cello in the trunk.  This situation, according to Schacter, is "a failure of attention at the time when memory retrieval is necessary."

Another expert who is currently with the St. Louis University School of Medicine, Geriatric Psychiatry Director, Dr. George T. Grossberg, shares the same sentiments with Dr. Schacter.  He said that people now live in a multitasking world, "Many people just have sensory overload, wherein they have too many things going on at once, making them more likely to be absentminded."  It becomes a behavior developed through life changing processes.  Tasks are forgotten since people have to deal with heavy schedules.  Absentmindedness happens when people age and get busier with their work and family.

Absentmindedness is totally different from having memory loss says Grossberg.  He shared a story about one his patients, who was taken to him by her family due to severe forgetfulness.  The family was alarmed when they started receiving calls from restaurants, department stores, coffee shops and other establishments telling them that the patient has left her wallet, bag or other important things.

Worry should start when a person begins forgetting things that just previously happened.  This may be stored information not just material things that can't be recalled.  An absent minded person may forget where the car keys have been placed, while a person having memory loss forgets where he placed the car keys, won't even realize they are lost and will eventually forget what those keys are for.

Individuals who forget things and start losing track of information of the past may change drastically.  It would start with their day to day activities and eventually could affect their analytical and planning skills.  In time it would change their manners of speaking, writing and comprehension.  Unlike absentminded people, they may forget simple things and appointments but it never alleviates their capacity to run things successfully in their lives.  Therein, is the difference between memory loss and absentmindedness.

Memory Improvement Is Not Just An Elderly Thing

Normally, the brain's capacity to store and retrieve information wanes as brain cells deteriorate through time. Other factors such as Alzheimer's disease, dementia or other diseases related to aging also affect the capacity of the brain to remember. But these reasons are not enough to conclude that memory improvement is only advised and recommended for the elderly.

Regardless of age, human beings rely on recalled information to get by everyday. Even at an early age, kids utilize information as part of the learning process. It may be as simple as learning how to tie shoelaces on his own, remembering what needs to be done in case he finds himself separated from his family in malls, learning numbers and the alphabet, and remembering the names of persons close to him. A lot of things learned at this period become integral to the life of a growing child and is referred to in the following years.

As kids continue studying, a number of things add to the list of what is needed to be remembered. Students need to refer to a lot of notes and lectures for these. Understanding complex lessons is a hard task. But to accurately remember these ideas involves even greater efforts. During examinations, what is retained in the minds of the students becomes the gauge of what he has become. What a student remembers from his educational endeavor, will have to be recalled the moment he is absorbed in the workplace.

Adding to the complexity of life are more things for an adult to keep in mind. There are bills, PIN codes, household matters, events, work matters, etc. The list of things to remember goes on.  And as long as life continues, the list will not cease to expand. Knowing that all things are intertwined, there is no room for mistakes caused by forgetting.

It can be generalized then that the series of human activities strongly rely on the ability to recall and apply what has been learned in the past. And that is what memory is basically all about. Memory then can be defined as the ability to retain or preserve knowledge. More so, memory has a lot to do with how a person functions independently and successfully.

Unfortunately, in as much as people are faced with the fact that memory is important in our daily lives, they might as well be open to the fact that people do experience memory loss. This may be due to normal forgetting, or as part of the system to psychologically respond to negative situations such as fear or trauma, or because of the complex organization of information to short-term and long-term memory.

One may also find that the discrepancy between the visual and verbal means of acquiring information affects our memory. Studies have shown that tending to learn through visual mode more (i.e. television shows, movies/documentaries) makes one's right side brain develop more than the left side, thus affecting information recall.

Acknowledging these facts will lead to understanding that memory improvement is not for the elderly alone.

• It is for people who want to maximize their learning.
• It is for people who want to make the most of what they have learned.
• It is for people who have the will to be more than just someone who has average memory.
• It is for people who want to use memory to their advantage.

Elderly people benefit from memory improvements by having them live as they did before memory loss and it is thought that this can help to slow memory decline.

Then think of what memory improvement can do to a mind that has not reached the gray years. There are a lot of ways by which one can improve their memory nowadays. These are available to practically anyone who seeks the advantages of a powerful memory. The promise of something better is at the hands of those who want to improve.

Truly, knowledge is power. But greater power comes from what is retained in the mind. It is not enough to get facts. The next important thing is to know how to properly store them in your "mental database" for future reference and use. The brain is such a marvel, and its limitation depends solely on the limitations that its owners set forth. There are infinite possibilities for a brain that knows the right strategy.

As we go about our daily lives, we tend to forget things like names of people whom we've met at one point in our lives, the location of a restaurant or our car keys or that certain word that is at the tip of our tongues. This is considered to be normal since our brain cannot accommodate all the information that it is fed. However, when memory loss becomes a deterrent to us in living our daily lives, then we are faced with a serious problem. The kind of memory loss that involves the information necessary for us to normally function needs medical attention.

There are many factors that are associated to cause memory loss. Listed below are some of the most common causes:

Aging

Aging is considered as one of the most common causes of memory loss. A person starts to lose brain cells at 20 but only a few at a time. The body also lessens the production of chemicals which are needed by the brain cells in order for them to work. Age-related memory loss equates to a deficiency of neurotransmitters that are the brain's chemical messengers. The older one gets, the greater the acceleration of this process. In fact, around 10% of all people above 70 years have severe memory problems.

Alzheimer's Disease

There are many causes other than aging which can cause memory problems. Alzheimer's disease is one of the most feared memory dysfunctions known to man since its cause is still unknown. It is a form of progressive dementia which impairs the intellectual functions of the brain including memory retention. In America alone, around 4 million have fallen victims to the dreaded disease. Half of all the people who have memory problems suffer from Alzheimer's disease.  More information is covered on this dreaded disease in an upcoming chapter.

Head Injury

A head injury is defined as any trauma which leads to the injury of the skull, brain or scalp. This includes minor injuries such as a head bump and major brain injuries.

Severe head injuries can lead to problems of memory loss. Approximately 2 million people suffer from head injuries each year. Fast first aid treatment can improve the chances of saving life of someone together with keeping his memory intact.

Seizures

A seizure is defined as a violent and uncontrollable muscle contraction. Sometimes, seizures can just be a blanking out suddenly.

Medical Conditions

There are other medical conditions that can lead to memory loss. Cardiac problems such as coronary artery disease, arrhythmias and heart failure are some of the culprits. The reduced blood circulation can have a detrimental effect to the brain.

Kidney and liver failures are also associated with memory loss. These are conditions which increase the concentration of toxins in the blood.

Malnutrition and deficiencies in vitamins can also cause memory loss. Sometimes, these conditions are brought about by other problems such as alcoholism. This is also referred to as the Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome.

Taking too much medication is a common cause of memory loss. Overdosing usually leads to an altered state of mind and confusion.

Maintaining Memory

There are many ways in which we can maintain our memory functions. Living a healthy life and keeping a fit body can greatly improve our chances against memory loss. The brain needs to be constantly challenged by learning new things. That is why engaging in new activities and doing new things will help the brain maintain its vigor and sharpness. Staying away from stress and doing fun activities will also help the brain function at its best.

You can also try taking herbal medicine as a supplement that can help you maintain the wellness of your brain. The Siberian Ginseng is known to help in memory restoration. Gingko is popular in helping people with dementia. The Maca Root is rich in vitamins and minerals which are much needed by the brain, such as vitamins B1, B2, B12, C and E. Another root known as Kava is clinically proven to have comparable effects with those of anxiety drugs.

We can never underestimate the problem of memory loss. We may have a sharp mind today but we may never know what we will face as we grow older. We seldom think about the organ which allows us to enjoy life as we know it. Memories are prints of our lives which are too precious to be lost, let us take care of them.

Best Techniques to Remember Names and Faces

Lost for words when faced with a familiar face not seen for ages? Changing your path to the checkout line to avoid the cheerleader from high school, whose name is not quite coming up?  Avoid situations like these from now on.  Be sure to try and follow the techniques below to help you remember names and faces.

- Listen carefully to the name of the person and politely ask to repeat if the name is not clear to you.  Repeat the name to yourself several times.

- If handed a name card, read the name to yourself aloud, one or two times.  The mind remembers better when the sound heard is familiar, such as one’s voice.

- While you are conversing with the person, keep the name card in front of you during the entire conversation, so that you can refer to it from time to time until you can easily recall the name of the person.

- Recall a friend or relative that shares the same name.  You can mention how you are familiar with your acquaintance’s name by virtue of a friend or relative that shares the same name. 

- As you recall your friend or relative with the same name, try to make a mental association between the two.  Now this can be done in the beginning of the conversation, when there is something physical or immediately obvious characteristic that is common.  Or it can be towards the middle or end of the conversation, where you find out more about your acquaintance, be it their occupation (John the lawyer, same as your lawyer) or a striking characteristic (Ana is as talkative as your niece, also named Ana).

- If you are familiar with the etymology or origin of the name (for non-English names) mention that as well and spend sometime elaborating on it.  You’ll be surprised at how most people are not familiar with such trivia.

- As you get into the thick of things, remember to use the name of your new friend as often as possible, listening to yourself as you repeat it. 

- From their physical appearance, create a mental picture of the one thing that stands out about the person.  For example, Sarah has short hair, and then you can mentally remember, bob-cut Sarah.  Or if Bill has a prominent nose, then imagine a big nose and remember Bill.  If Fred was wearing red, then remember Red Fred.

- If humor works for you, exaggerate anything that will help you remember the person, such as Cathy who maybe wearing a safari scarf can be remembered as Tiger Cathy.  Or if Samantha is wearing pink that day, then make a mental picture of Samantha as a Flamingo. 

- Ask as much information about the person as you can. If from a different state, then use the State abbreviation to correlate with their first name.  Hannah from California can be remembered as Hannah CA, or Aaron from Arizona can be remembered as AA from AZ. 

- What are their interests? What sport do they play? What is their job? In answering any of those questions, one of the replies will stand out and will make yourself be more familiar with the person in front of you.

- If you have access to a digital camera or a mobile phone with a digital camera, then snap one with your new friend.  The picture need not be the most photogenic for both of you, just a sure way to keep a remembrance of the meeting.

- When ending the conversation, make sure to repeat the name of the new friend for as often as possible.  Recall one or two points in the conversation that you will never forget and make a testament about him or her on those points, before you part.

- Immediately after meeting the person, try to jot down whatever transpired through the concluded conversation: where you met, how, why and the specifics of your conversation.  Try to keep that note in a scrapbook of small notes about acquaintances. 

- Better still, at the end of each day, jot down specific highlights of your day in a journal, especially when meeting someone and you are sure to keep the acquaintance forever.

The next time you attend a high school re-union, or bump into an old friend at the mall, don’t be at a loss … snappily call them out and rekindle friendships that were almost lost but are now found and remembered, forever!

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