Health Information

How to keep and improve memory

What is memory?

 Memory is the process by which information and experiences can be stored, retained and then recalled. Without memory, there can be no learning. Moray begins with some sort of stimulus coming into the brain. All raw data is sorted by the brain but only one with meaning goes into storage. Different types of memory are stored differently in the brain.

Short-term memory is temporary, and may last for only a few moments or less. An example is a phone number you just looked up or a name of someone you just met.

Working memory might include remembering to make several phone calls or remembering all the tasks you must complete to prepare for a trip. Working memory may require several types of information to be processed simultaneously – more than can be handled by a single short-term memory system. Once you use working memory, it’s usually forgotten.

Long-term memory has an unlimited capacity for storage to hold information over length periods of time. Long-term memory allows you to draw upon the experiences of your lifetime from childhood on. It’s what really defines what we think of as our lives.

Short-term memories can become long-term memories. You can think of short-term memory storage as a potential loading dock for long-term memories. The process requires attention, repetition and associated ideas. The more attention we pay to a stimulus the more likely it is to stick in the memory.

How the Brain Remembers?

Memory relies upon an intricate biochemical process involving neurons, the smallest anatomical units of the nervous system. A neuron consists of a cell body that contains strands called dendrites. There is a sort of internal antennae. Between each of the brain’s neurons are spaces known as synapses. These neurotransmitters move through the synapses to communicate with the dendrites in other neurons.

The flow of information between neurons in the brain is the basis for all memory. When few data comes in, we actively sort through networks of stored information to make new temporary connections. These links are strengthened by repetition and can eventually become memory.

Why Can’t We Remember?

Researchers think there are a number of reasons healthy grains forget things:

1. Decay
   Information we don’t use or reinforce may simply fade away. The brain registers all raw data but retains only those with meaning. The sharpest decline in memory is shortly after hearing, seeing or experiencing something unless there’s repletion or other reinforcement.
2. Interference
   New information may bury or replace the old.
3. No longer accessible
   The so-called Tip of the Tongue phenomenon. You can recall the information but cannot make it. Often, for unexplained reasons, the memory will suddenly emerge when you are no longer trying to recall it.
4. Overload
   The brain is temporarily overloaded and distracted by stimuli. This is common in busy American lives.

Challenges to Memory

Age is only one of the factors that can cause memory problems. As with other aspects of health, lifestyle has a big impact on memory throughout life. Things that can interfere with memory and the ability to learn include:

1. Poor nutrition
   Shortchanging the brain’s need for high-quality protein, nourishing fats, and essential micronutrients can seriously impact learning and memory. This is particular problem for children as well as older people. A poor diet can increase the risk of hypertension (high blood pressure). Hypertension can lead to strokes that threaten brain function.
2. Alcohol
   Alcohol interferes with short-term memory limiting the ability to store new information. It’s widely understood that alcoholism is seriously damaging to memory, but studies have shown that even moderate alcohol use can interfere with the ability to remember.
3. Inadequate sleep
   Insomnia, too few hours of sleep, and jet lag can produce a chronic state of fatigue that impairs consolidation of information and the retrieval of memory. Some scientist believe that the poor sleep patterns of many of the elderly as well as the sleep deprivation of many overworked adults contribute to forgetfulness and memory loss.
4. Smoking
   Smoking limits the amount of oxygen that gets to the brain. Studies have shown that smokers have more difficulty reemerging names and faces in a test of verbal and visual memory.
5. Caffeine
   While caffeine in coffee and tea can have a positive impact on alertness, the stimulation cause by these drinks may interfere with normal memory function. Caffeine can also interfere with the sleep necessary to consolidate memories.
6. Dehydration
   Lack of water has an immediate effect on memory. Producing confusion and difficulty thinking. Too little water brings on fatigue and decrease alertness. Older people are at particular risk because they may not accurately perceive their level of thirst, which in itself may not be an accurate indicator of true fluid needs.
7. Medications
   Certain drugs such as tranquilizers, muscular relaxants, sleeping pills, and anti-anxiety medications can cause loss of memory. In some people, drugs for hypertension may also have an impact on memory and in some cases may cause depression.
8. Disease
   Dementia, other disease, and injuries to the brain can cause serious loss of memory. This is quite different from the normal forgetting that takes place in daily lives. Anyone concerned about memory loss should be evaluated by a health care professional.
9. Stress
   Anxiety and stress interfere with concentration. The typical American lifestyle leaves many people tense, distracted and over stimulated. Memory can suffer when all circuits are busy.

Tips to Help You Remember

There are many techniques you can adopt that can help improve your memory.

1. Stay focused
   Learning and remembering require commitment and attention. The more focused you are, the more likely that new information will be retained. Pay attention to what you consider most important.
2. Write down reminders immediately
   Take notes, make lists, mart the calendar, or keep a journal.
3. Make associations
   Connect new information to things already store in the long-term memory. Use a new word in a sentence.
4. Follow a routine
   Each activity will serve as a cue for the next.
5. Repeat names of people you meet
   Listen carefully, then use the name in conversation. Link the first letter with a characteristic of the person. The more links you have to face, the easier it will be to come with a name.
6. Have a place for everything
   Keep key, wallets and other important things in the same place when you are not using them.
7. Be confident
   Self-doubt leads to anxiety and makes retrieving stored information more difficult.
8. Visualize
   Think of everything you want to remember in a particular location in your house. Then imagine walking through each room and “viewing“ each item.

Exercise Your Mind

“Use it or lose it” definitely applies to memory. No matter what your age, your brain can continue to store new information, if you make an effort to learn and challenge yourself. An active brain produces new connections between nerve cells that allow cells to communicate effectively with each other. Theses connections help the brain store and retrieve information easily. What follows are important ways to build and maintain a strong memory.

1. Stay physically active
   The mind-body connection is real. Aerobic exercise such as walking, biking, and swimming is particularly important for memory because it helps keep blood vessels delivering adequate oxygen to the brain. Daily exercise keeps you alert. It also decreases the risk of high blood pressure and strokes, common risks to proper brain function. People who exercise regularly also tend to sleep well that is another must for healthy memory.
2. Get plenty of rest
   During sleep, the train has welcome decrease in sensory input, which allows it to sort through experiences and activities. This period of consolidation is essential to lay down and organize memories.
3. Learn something new
   Try new experiences unrelated to your normal activities. Start writing a memoir or play games using a computer. New activities can make new connections in your neural pathways.
4. Exercise your mind
   Word games such as scrabble or cross word puzzles keep those neurons firing. Play online chess. Go to a museum. Read.
5. Concentrate
   Try to sharpen your focus with any common object, for example a cup of tea. Note the weight and size of the cup. Look at its color. What’s the color, flavor, aroma and temperature of the tea? Such an exercise sharpeners your perception and helps you remember details.
6. Relax
   When you’re tense or anxious, you can’t concentrate or process information. Learn to calm yourself with breathing exercises. Yoga offers a great way to unwind. Remind yourself of what’s important and good in your life. Let the rest of it go.
7. Stay connected
   Keep up to date on current events, films, and other topics that interest you. Seek out people with whom you can have lively and positive conversations. Isolation can lead to depression, and that itself causes memory problems.

Feed Your Brain

A good diet with plenty of complete protein, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats is as important for the brain as for any other organ in the body. However, brain cells can be more demanding nutritionally than other cells. Brain cells require a great deal of carefully controlled energy to function optimally. Brain and nerve cells deserve special dietary support.

1. Proteins and fats are needed to make new connections.
2. Essential fatty acids affect neurotransmitter release and are critical for other brain functions. The omega 3 acids fund in salmon and other deep water fish may be the reason that fish has long been considered brain food.
3. Some vitamins are particularly important for memory. These include thiamin, folic acid, and vitamin B₁₂.
4. Lecithin provides choline, a component of acetylcholine, an important massager used by the grain and central nervous system.
5. Ginkgo biloba appears to increase the flow of blood to the grain. The National Institute of Health is currently studying the impact of ginkgo on brain function.
6. Recent clinical research has shown that both bacopa and vinpocetine can help to improve memory function.

References

J. K. Singleton. Memory Enhancement. Retrieved from www.ed-online.net/Knowledge/Articles/meory enhancemnt.html

S. H. Cardoso (1997) Human Memory: What it is and how to improve it. Center for Biomedical Informatics, Stats University of Campinas, Brazil

National Institute of Aging. Forgetfulness: It’s not always what you thing. nlm.nih.gov.medlineplus/memory.

Mayo Clinic Staff. Keeping Health in Mind: 10 steps to keep your memory sharp. www.mayclinic.com.

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