Community Update (3/1/24)

Wellness

Did you forget that?  Update on Memory

So much discussion recently on the relative cognitions of our President and past President has focused on memory. The Washington Post (February 20, 2024) presented an article that sheds light on the relative importance of memory, noting that we forget things (where we put the keys) all our lives, but it is only in our older years that we pay attention to that and become concerned about it. Experts agree that “memory, no matter what your age, is fallible and malleable. Our brain processes incalculable amounts of information at a given time, and there’s simply not room for all of it to be stored.” And, surprisingly, “the act of forgetting is an important aspect of memory.”

Several memory experts were interviewed for this article, entitled Remember, Our Brains are Built to Forget. Earl K. Miller of MIT neuroscience stresses that we have memory slips all the time, such as the above where we left the keys, names and dates, and memory lapse really is normal at every stage of life.

Our brains work by storing vast amounts of information that can be recalled for weeks or across a lifetime. The brain prioritizes important memories over the recall of less important ones which get cast out. The article gives scientific explanation of how and where memories get stored, recalled, and lost, pointing out that our memories are “centered on our life stories and what has affected us the most.” By not encoding every single detail we encounter, the brain serves to “declutter,” so that instead of remembering the time and details, we “remember the concepts and the generalized principles.”  Our imperfect memories are a function of our consistently selective memories that we want to remember, which occurs throughout our lifespan.

Dates and names are data that are harder to hold onto regardless of age, and some people use a technique such as repetition or associating a name with a specific item or event to store in memory. Names are harder to recall because they “have no inherent meaning” says Daniel Schacter. Researchers refer to the “Baker-baker paradox” which highlights that it is harder to recall the name Baker than if the person’s job was a baker because we have more information about the occupation than the name!  And while we may forget a date, we recall the event that occurred on that date, as it is the more important piece of information. Forgetting these details do not by themselves indicate cognitive issues.

But how does memory change as we age? Apparently, our memory peaks in our early twenties, and mental acuity starts a long slow decline which may be due to structural changes that begin in the brain starting in midlife, said Thomas Wisniewski (NYU). The most obvious memory change is the speed at which things are processed, says Bradford Dickerson (Harvard). “Everything gets slower, including our movement, sensory processing, and memory.” Speech and word retrieval become more difficult with age, plus aging magnifies any prior difficulties in speaking one may have had. Plus, older brains are more affected by stress, distraction and fatigue which all worsen memory recall. And cognition is affected by such outside influences as dehydration, medication side-effects, diet, and trauma. But, the normal cognitive decline during aging is NOT a disease state, it is a normal part of life.

So, what is the upside for those of us with “Older Brains?” Well, there actually are many positives about the older brain!  They can often compensate for weaknesses, and can “strategically focus memory on the most important information.” And, older brains often are more adept than younger brains at filtering irrelevant information or making connections between experiences, because they have had more of them (the researchers all agreed on this point)! Thus, an older brain is a wiser brain, as it has experience to draw on.

But, if one is concerned that their cognition changes are not in the “normal” range, then it is important to consult one’s health care provider who can initiate assessment and guide you to treatment options. This is best done early, as more treatment strategies are helpful, the earlier you are diagnosed.  But, that is a topic for another article, to come.