Hmmm its just on the tip of my tongue…
As a young girl. I was always intrigued as to why my granny could never remember our names and would run through every name (we are a family of girls) until she found the right name for the person she was addressing or talking about.
Now, much to the annoyance of my children, I find myself struggling at times to recall their names in an instant, I normally get them confused with the dog, which at least amuses me. The dog is called Daisy so it could have been a whole lot worse. .
This made me wonder what exactly is going on in our brains as we get older……. I am talking about natural ageing and brain function here and not signs or symptoms of dementia or Alzheimer’s which should be discussed with a doctor if you have concerns about this. .
The brain's volume peaks in our early 20s and gradually declines for the rest of life. In our 40s, when many people start to notice subtle changes, the cortex – which is the outer surface of the brain associated with higher level processes such as consciousness, thought, emotion, reasoning, language, and memory - starts to shrink. Our nerve cells can shrink or waste away, connections among the neurons reduces and the ageing brain has lower blood flow. .
We may notice changes such as a reduced ability to committing new information to memory recalling names and numbers can take longer. Autobiographical memory of life events and accumulated knowledge of learned facts and information decline with age, whereas procedural memories like remembering how to ride a bike or tie a shoe remain largely intact. .
Working memory — the ability to hold a piece of information in mind, such as a phone number or password, also declines with age. Working memory depends on the rapid processing of new information rather than on stored knowledge. Other aspects of this kind of fluid intelligence, such as processing speed and problem-solving, also decrease with age. .
Certain aspects of attention can become more difficult as our brains age. We may have a harder time focusing on what our friends are saying when we’re in a noisy restaurant. Our ability to tune out distractions and focus on a particular stimulus is called selective attention. Splitting our focus between two tasks – like holding a conversation while driving – also becomes more challenging with age. .
According to the American Academy of Neurology’s practice guideline, the best thing you can do to maintain your brain health is to exercise (particularly aerobic exercise) twice a week. .
Although there is no clear-cut proven link that doing any of the following will help slow memory and thinking skill decline, these are general recommendations for maintaining good health. .
- Maintain good blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood glucose levels.
- Stop smoking and avoid excess drinking. .
- Eat a healthy diet -- one high in antioxidants and olive oil as this lowers the risk of dementia. Consider the Mediterranean diet. .
- Maintain appropriate weight. .
- Stay positive and find happiness. .
- Reduce stress.
- Get an adequate amount of sleep. .
- Exercise your body include aerobic exercises such as swimming, biking, or walking, strength training, stretching exercises, and balance training. .
- Exercise your brain - do puzzles, quizzes, card games, read, learn a new language, or play a new instrument, learn a new skill or hobby, take a class.
- Stay socially active - share hobbies with like-minded people, join clubs, volunteer.
As for me, right now I'm having amnesia and déjà vu at the same time but at least I can remember the dogs name.
