Memory Key Newsletter

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T h e M e m o r y K e y
<http://www.memory-key.com>

Your resource for information about memory and memory improvement

August 2006

http://www.memory-key.com/newsletters/issue_87.htm

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THIS MONTH ON MEMORY-KEY.COM:

MENTAL STIMULATION

FORGETTING TO DO THINGS

MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT

BLOG

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The e-book on "Remembering intentions" is now $9.95!
Check it out at:
http://www.memory-key.com/shop/intention_ebook.htm

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Find out about my YA novel at:
http://www.fmmcpherson.com/

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MENTAL STIMULATION

Recently I reported on a pilot study involving people aged 35–69 who were put on a ‘brain-health’ program for two weeks. Despite the brevity of this period, measurable results eventuated. The program involved a diet plan (5 small meals a day; diet rich in omega-3 fats, antioxidants and low-glycemic carbohydrates like whole grains), relaxation exercises, cardiovascular conditioning (daily walks), and mental exercise (such as crosswords and brain teasers).

Now this was only a small study, and obviously it needs to be replicated with a larger number of people. But it is exciting, and perfectly consistent with an increasing number of studies confirming that all these factors are important in the fight against cognitive decline (and preventing Alzheimer’s).

In honor of this I have added an article on these matters to the Senior Center (although as this study suggests, you don’t have to wait until you’re “senior” to benefit from lifestyle changes — and indeed, there’s every indication, although it’s never too late, earlier is better!).

Here’s the summary for the article:

Growing evidence points to greater education, and mentally stimulating occupations and activities providing a cognitive reserve that enables people with developing Alzheimer's to function normally for longer.

There is also evidence that physical exercise and mental stimulation protect against the development of Alzheimer's, by preventing accumulation of beta-amyloid.

Physical exercise and mental stimulation also seem to help protect against age-related decline in cognitive function, possibly for similar reasons -- by stimulating growth of new blood vessels and keeps existing vessels open and functional.

Mental stimulation is not only gained by more obvious intellectual pursuits, but also by activities as simple as talking to people or going to the theater.

Education also seems to help seniors retain their mental flexibility, enabling their brains to change strategies as age effects make different strategies more effective.

You can read the full article at:
http://www.memory-key.com/Seniors/stimulation.htm

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FORGETTING TO DO THINGS

The other day I was sitting in the sunshine in my living room going through some journal articles I'd photocopied. I realized I needed to staple the pages together and went down to my study to get the stapler. Approaching my desk, I decided to check my email while I was there. And then, I decided to check my library account online to see whether a book I had requested had turned up. When I'd done that, I went back upstairs to my papers. Where I realized, of course, that I'd forgotten the stapler.

This type of memory failure -- going to do something, getting sidetracked, doing something else and forgetting the original task -- is familiar to all of us. As are everyday memory failures like forgetting to put the garbage out; forgetting to take medication at the right time; forgetting a dentist appointment (although there's more than one reason for that!).

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I’ve written another article for seniors, on that most common type of memory failure — forgetting the future (things you planned to do; future events). You can read the full article at:
http://www.memory-key.com/seniors/prospective.htm

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MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT

Except in the cases of stroke or traumatic brain injury, loss of cognitive function is not something that happens all at once. Cognitive impairment that comes with age may be thought of as belonging on a continuum, with one end being no cognitive impairment and the other end being dementia, of which Alzheimer's is the most common type.

Most older adults are actually at the "no impairment" end of the continuum. Some 30-40% of adults over 65 will have what is called "age-related memory impairment", which is the type of cognitive loss we regard as a normal consequence of age -- a measurable (but slight) decline on memory tests; a feeling that you're not quite as sharp or as good at remembering, as you used to be.

Only about 1% of these people will develop Alzheimer's.

But around 10% of adults over 65 develop "mild cognitive impairment", and this is a precursor of Alzheimer's.

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My third and final new article for seniors is a brief explanation of mild cognitive impairment. You can read the rest at:
http://www.memory-key.com/seniors/mci.htm

I’ve also collated all the news reports that refer to MCI.

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BLOG
www.memory-key.com/blogger.html

Latest posts:

* no "God spot" in the brain
* We really are attracted to novelty
* Humans, chimpanzees and bonobos.
* placebos aren’t just "imaginary"
* controlling chronic pain
* how we make snap judgments about people

* 10 year olds not capable of adult-level change detection
* male and female brains
* benefits of social connectedness
* effect of environment on social interaction
* male and female brains
* Perception and nutrition
* why self-discipline is more important than smarts

Note that the blog is indexed chronologically at
http://www.memory-key.com/indices/blog_index.htm

And by subject, at http://www.memory-key.com/indices/blog_index2.htm

You can also access my blog with an RSS feed. The URL is
http://memory-key.com/ftp.memory-key.com/atom.xml, or just click the
Bloglines button on the sidebar of my blog.

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If you have missed any issue of the newsletter (those people who use hotmail
in particular sometimes have their mail bounced back "overquota"), you can
read back issues at: http://www.memory-key.com/newsletters/newsletters.htm

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The Memory Key website is named after my book "The Memory Key", a
practical user-friendly handbook designed to help people achieve
genuine, long-lasting memory improvement.

http://www.memory-key.com/AboutTheSite/about_book.htm

www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1564144704/thememorykey-20

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