“She was wearing a blue shirt when we met her. I know it!”
“No, dear. You’re remembering it wrong; that shirt was white!”
Ever have this kind of conversation and thought either you or your partner must be headed toward mental doom?
For many of us, the mere mention of the words “memory loss” is enough to invoke a mild panic attack. We all have those moments of mental lapse, but, especially with all the recent attention on Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, the threat of looming memory loss can certainly evoke fear.
Let’s relax a little bit and understand that, for the most part, memory loss is normal. Beginning as early as our midtwenties, our brains slowly become less efficient at making those neural connections that allow us to remember names, places, words, and all the things we have to do.
According to Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publications Webpage, there are seven types of normal memory problems that all of us face as we mature. Do any of these sound familiar?
Transience: the tendency to forget facts or events over time.
Absentmindedness: occurs when you don’t pay close enough attention to what you’re doing; for example, forgetting why you walked into a room.
Blocking: that “on-the-tip-of-your-tongue” inability to recall a name, place or word.
Misattribution: remembering something accurately in part, but getting some details wrong.
Suggestibility: happens when your mind combines information from after an event with memories of the original event.
Bias: your personal point of view, experiences, beliefs, and even your mood act as a filter through which your memory is stored in your brain and can affect its accuracy.
Persistence: these are memories you can’t seem to forget; often they are traumatic or horrifying events that continually surface to torment your emotions.
Several studies suggest that engaging in social or intellectual activities challenge our brains and cause brain cells to be larger and have more dendrites, which leads to more interconnectivity with other brain cells. These same studies show that lack of such stimulation causes the opposite effect. Genetic traits, exposure to toxins, or smoking or drinking in excess may also cause the brain to degenerate more quickly.
Enjoy the ride, laugh when you have to, and relax.
There is an upside to the aging brain, however. As we get older, memories from our earlier life come into sharper focus, often referred to as the Reminiscence Effect. The childhood memories we treasure and those of our teenage and early adulthood seem to carry more weight. There is also evidence that suggests memories can resurface after years of being forgotten, like unearthing a mental time capsule.
The important thing to remember is that, while a 70-year-old may show a decline in certain memory-related abilities, overall brain function remains strong for most people. Current research shows that the average senior performs as well as many 20-somethings on certain cognitive tests.
Of course, if you are concerned about memory problems, talk to your doctor to rule out any medical problems. Otherwise enjoy the ride, laugh when you have to, and relax. While your memory may not be as quick as it was in your younger years, it’s still there when you need it.
