For anyone reading this blog who is over 30 (that's probably all of you), the bad news is that your brain is already on the decline. The brain's peak performance is in our mid- 20's. Decline is gradual, and the effects of healthy aging on cognitive functions are actually quite subtle.
For example, a middle-aged adult can remember a sequence of seven numbers, while a person in their 60's without dementia can hold on to six digits. When asked to list as many animals as they can in a certain time frame (verbal fluency), adults over 55 can list about 4% fewer animals than a person in mid life.
What causes lapses in memory as we age? Alzheimer's disease and dementia affect us more than most anything else, but there are other reasons for memory lapse. Medications, anxiety, depression and lack of sleep can all affect memory. Normal changes occur in our brain, and processing speed may slow. The amount of content in our working memory may diminish. The short list of items you can keep in your head when going to the grocery store might get shorter, but it should not drop to zero.
Memory loss is part of the general atrophy and slowing down that happens to all parts of our bodies with age. We know there's a slight atrophy of the brain with age, which could change processing speed. THIS IS NORMAL. We were all at our maximum brain function in our mid 20's, and it's all downhill after that. Just keep exercising, eating well, socializing, and learning and you will keep a well functioning brain into your 100's. Slower to process, but non the less well functioning.
When dealing with very old people, recognize they may not answer questions or respond to information as quickly as you. Give them a chance to recall and formulate what they want to say. Most of the time the information is there. It just takes them longer to retrieve.
No comments:
Post a Comment