Memory and Aging
Many worry about the difference between Alzheimer’s disease and normal aging. Dr. Rudolph Tanziof Harvard University simplifies the difference by giving an example of what is normal memory loss and what could be Alzheimer’s. Normal memory loss is when you forget where you put your car keys. Alzheimer’s is when you forget what car keys are for. As our bodies and mind age, changes occur on a physical level. Researchers are finding that we do not lose brain cells but we do lose the synapses or the “telephone wires” connecting the cells together. A new Yale study shows that stress can reduce brain volume and function, even in otherwise healthy individuals. Researchers from the Yale Stress Center analyzed the effect of experiencing stressful life events. The study, published Jan. 5, 2012, in the Journal of Biological Psychiatry, concluded that stress can decrease the amount of gray matter in the brain and make it more difficult for people to manage stressful situations in the future. The good news is that we can keep the synapses working and maybe even create new ones even as the brain ages. I am sure we have all heard the saying, “I just don’t remember like I used to!” Both researchers and doctors agree that these six activities will help with memory retention and reduce the effects of aging on the brain. (more…)