Memory and Aging: Improving Your Memory

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Did You Know?

Memory Concerns and Alzheimer's Disease

If you are worried about memory loss, it is unlikely to be the beginning of Alzheimer's Disease. Ninety-five per cent of memory loss experiences are caused by stress, poor nutrition, medications, or depression. However, if you have serious concerns about your memory, please discuss your situation with your doctor or health care professional.

A common concern for many people as they age is an increasing inability to remember things. Whether it is forgetting where you put your keys down, whether you locked the front door, or the name of your first cousin's husband, a faltering memory can cause frustration and even anger. When words or concepts you have always known suddenly seem irretrievable, it is natural to become irritated and mad. If you take time to learn about how your memory works, you will realize that there are many things you can do to improve your memory skills. Just as your body needs exercise to remain healthy and fit, your mind needs practice to stay sharp. There are tricks and techniques you can use to help yourself recall information, remember names and retain important new knowledge.

Memory and Aging

Memory loss and confusion are often associated with aging. While it is normal that it might take longer to remember things (after all, you have a lifetime's worth of knowledge and memories to sift through), memory loss is not an undeniable part of aging. It is within your power to remain mentally sharp and active if you practice and work at it. You are likely to experience several normal changes with your memory process as you age. Typical changes which relate to memory include:

	Focus -You may have difficulty focusing on more than one thing at a time.
	Energy - Increased energy and effort will be required to learn new things.
	Time - You will need more time to recall information from both your short and long-term memory (names, vocabulary, places, historical facts).

These changes are normal and they don't mean that your memory doesn't work anymore. Instead, they are signs that you may need to expend a little more effort and attention to remembering. Some memory problems are caused by environmental changes and emotional problems. If you have recently experienced a significant loss like the death of a spouse or a major life change like retirement, these changes might cause you to feel sadness, depression, confusion and forgetfulness. This is to be expected and you should give yourself time to adjust emotionally.

Other memory problems might be a result of a medical condition. If you are experiencing memory difficulties, take time to acknowledge and evaluate them, and do discuss them with your doctor. If changes in personality and behavior accompany memory problems, dementia may be the cause. Dementia refers to mental and behavioral changes with result from changes in the brain caused by disease or trauma. According to the National Institute on Aging, common symptoms of dementia include: asking the same questions repeatedly; becoming lost in familiar places; being unable to follow directions; getting disoriented about time, people, and places; neglecting personal safety, hygiene, and nutrition. Several conditions, including Alzheimer's, can cause dementia, and some are reversible so it is important to see your doctor for an evaluation.

Briefly, Alzheimer's is a disorder that gradually destroys cells in the brain, and causes dementia. As nerve cells die, affected areas of the brain wither and become smaller. The areas of the brain that control memory, logical thinking, and personality are generally the most affected. As areas in the brain become smaller, cavities within the brain containing fluid become enlarged. Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include: loss of recent memory; problems with language, calculation, abstract thinking, and judgment; depression, anxiety, and personality changes; unpredictable quirks or behavior; delusions and hallucinations (late in the disease); trouble knowing time, date, or place

Alzheimer's Disease is not curable and is not a normal process of aging. There are communication and management techniques as well as medication that can improve the quality of life for those caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. Also see Helpguide's Alzheimer's and Other Dementias for more resources and information on medical conditions which might cause memory-related issues.

How can I improve my memory?

Dr. Albert Rizzo, a professor at the USC School of Gerontology and former Program Coordinator at the USC Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, believes that every person can take charge of improving their memory skills. He has several easy and fun techniques you can use for remembering things on a daily basis. As you use his tips and techniques, you will find that remembering comes more easily when you have systems in place to help you organize and retrieve information.

The following is excerpted from A Clinical Manual for Conducting Memory Enhancement Seminars for Seniors (currently in press) by Dr. Rizzo. Dr. Rizzo created the Memory Enhancement Seminars for Seniors (MESS) program in 1996 to assist senior citizens in learning skills for memory maintenance and enhancement. The MESS approach takes a holistic view of memory that addresses cognitive, psychological and educational factors in memory performance. Click on the link below for the complete article, which includes detailed explanations of several specific memory enhancement techniques.

What is the "Personal Scientist" model?

When we refer to becoming your own personal scientist, we are talking about being your own memory diagnostician, scientist, and problem solver. You can learn how to "take charge" of improving your own memory skills. You will learn how to recognize where your memory breaks down, how to select a memory enhancement strategy and how you can go about applying a technique to address a memory problem. If you want to be your own personal scientist and understand and improve your memory, you need to first understand why certain memory problems occur. For example, if your car stops running, what do you do? Number one, you ask yourself do I have gas? Number two, is the battery dead? Number three, do I have the wrong key? And number four, Is the engine shot? Well, it is like that with your memory, you have to have a system. It will help if you have a checklist of questions that you can review in your head every time you have a memory "breakdown."

What are the "3 R's" of memory?

Most folks think that memory consists of one single entity, but memory consists of a variety of different components. When we talk about memory, we are talking about a complex system of many different principles at work in the brain…memory in essence, should be seen as an "activity"… rather than just a storage space. It is important to understand how the key components of memory work, because only by looking at its fundamental parts can you get a better idea of what your memory problems are. Memory has 3 basic steps, also known as the 3 R's. The 3 R's of memory are registration, retention, and retrieval.

	Registration is paying attention and it is the first step in acquiring new information and beginning to process it. Sometimes we fail to register things. Things like lack of interest and not paying attention cause you to not register information in the first place.
	Retention is the act of taking the new information and moving it into a more permanent store… in long-term memory. You have to do something with the information you are registering in order to make it stick.
	Retrieval is the third step. When something is on the tip of your tongue and you can't quite get it, that is a problem of retrieval. That means that you paid attention—you registered it, you retained it, you did something with it, but you can't quite get it out. Retrieval is probably the hardest part, and probably the most frustrating. It is important to remember that you have a whole library full of information and it is a challenge for the brain to go back over 80 years of living, and always be able to find things quickly.

What are the basic ingredients of memory?

Imagery, association and organization are the basic ingredients of memory—these are the nuts and bolts of improving your memory. When we use tools like imagery and association, we are in a sense giving the brain "cues" to work with—we are setting up a structure for the new information we are taking in, which makes it easier for us to remember.

	Imagery - Imagery is the art of using your imagination – it has to do with forming mental pictures or mental snapshots, and it does not have to be just visual. It can be auditory or it can utilize the senses of smell, touch and taste. You can use all five of your senses, and the idea here is to not just think of something in its language-based description, but to form vivid mental pictures. You're going to see imagery as a tool of vital importance – it's a skill. A lot of people think more in terms of language rather than pictures, but with awareness and practice, imagery is a skill that can be exercised to increase your memory.
	Association - Association states that in order to learn something new you need to associate it with something you already know. You naturally associate in the learning process, but if you are more consciously aware of the power of association, then you can take the reins and use it to your advantage. To learn something new you have to associate it with something that you know already, and even better, something relevant to you.
	Organization - We naturally organize to some degree, but as we get older, we don't spontaneously use organization skills as much as we did when were younger. Say you give a person a list of 16 words to remember and the words consist of four categories – 4 types of herbs and spices, 4 types of tools, 4 types of clothing, and 4 types of fruit. Then you read them out loud first to a younger person and then to an older person, and ask them both to repeat back as many as they can. Something interesting happens. You'll find that the younger person can repeat them back spontaneously and in their proper categories, whereas the older person will recite only the last couple of items on the list (called the Recency Effect). Older people naturally tend to use less effective tactics by remembering the most recent items or the first items on the list, whereas younger folks have a tendency to better organize things in their correct category.

Imagery, Association, and Organization are really the key ways to helping you retain information better. If you can learn these memory tactics and apply them in very specific ways in different memory situations, then you can be your own personal scientist and proficiently tackle different memory situations.

How do thoughts and feelings affect memory?

A big part of tackling memory problems is dealing with negative self statements, which produce emotions that are distracting, lower our expectations for success, and decrease our motivation to use methods that can help us to build better memory skills. Many of us are unaware of what we tell ourselves, but we feel the negative emotions as a byproduct of these statements. We first have the thought and then we have the feeling attached to it. You need to become more aware of how what you think leads to an emotional state of mind which interferes in a big way with memory. When you say to yourself, "My memory stinks," or "It's hopeless for me to try now," what you are setting up in your brain is feelings of worthlessness, fear and lack of confidence to excel at learning new memory skills.

What are some memory tools and tactics?

External aids are physical tools and props that help you remember things. Common external aids include notebooks, calendars, post-it notes, lists, name tags, timers, environmental restructuring (keys on hook by door or in refrigerator on top of lunch), some mnemonics (rhymes, acronyms, acrostics, sayings), drills, and routines.

Three General Categories of External Aids

Writing Notes – Writing things down forces you to organize, focuses your attention, stimulates motor cues, and provides visual cues (and if you say it aloud—auditory cues). Writing notes requires specificity. If you want to remember things and you are writing them down, try to be specific, e.g. "Run errands" vs. 1. Haircut 2. Phone call to doctor 3. Stop at cleaners). Also, you can't lose your list – a notebook with a bright cover might help!
Environmental Restructuring – Basically, this means that you should design your environment to be user-friendly. A hook for your keys by the door, a ruler in the desk drawer, a special place for your wallet or purse in the kitchen or entryway, a manila envelope to hold all of your bills, etc. If you design your living environment with care, you can eliminate some of your everyday memory frustrations. You do it naturally with relish and catsup in the refrigerator, or when you designate a specific cabinet for glasses and another for plates, so why not try it for other everyday things!
Object Cues – Slightly manipulating standard physical objects can help jog your memory. You can use timers or put a regular object out of place so that when you notice it is out of place, you are reminded of a task or errand. For example, if you are on your way out the door to the post office and the phone rings, you could turn your watch around or put it on the opposite arm. Then, after your phone conversation, you see your watch and it will cue you to go to post office. Another good object cue is to attach a paper bag to the refrigerator door to remind you to make lunch.

Using the Imagery-Association-Object "ingredients" to improve memory for names and faces requires three main steps:

Register the person's name. (i.e. say it to yourself or aloud as in "Hi BILL, nice to meet you!")
Notice something in their physical appearance or something noteworthy about them.
Form an associative image between their name and what you noticed in step two.

While often times, it is recommended that you find a distinctive feature about the person's face or body and then associate that with the person's name in some odd, ridiculous, funny, or ribald manner, it may be just as helpful to use a funny expression with the person's name and visualize that person in some act or situation that will stick out. For example: I met someone named Bill…I immediately said "Ok, Wild Bill" while I visualized him riding a horse wearing a cowboy hat". Another example: I met someone named Grace, and I thought to myself: "Amazing Grace" and visualized a glow around her face as she looked to the heavens! Finally it is important to be playful and have fun with this…you don't have to tell anyone what you used to help your memory…this takes place all in the personal domain of your mind!

For more of Dr. Rizzo's memory tips and techniques the full text of his article, see the PDF file below.

Online resources for memory

Memory Enhancement Seminars for Seniors (MESS) (University of Southern California) – Full text PDF file of Dr. Rizzo's article on memory enhancement for seniors. Includes detailed explanations of several techniques to improve your memory, including the method of location system, the pegword and link system and the link method. Also includes a discussion of several cognitive distortions which hamper your ability to remember.

Improving Memory – (University of Texas at Austin) Provides three helpful sections on memory including Theories and Processes, Techniques and Strategies, and Mnemonic Techniques and Memory Tricks. Written for students, but information is helpful for all ages.

The Memory Page – Provides exercises, tips, and tutorials that can enhance your memory skills.

Mind Tools for Improving Your Memory – Provides instruction for learning how to remember things most people can't, including lengthy lists, grouped information, and very long numbers. Site promotes books and products, but articles do outline several helpful techniques.

Neurobics™ – Neurobics™ are mental exercises that strengthen nerve connections and activate little-used pathways in your brain to help keep your mind fit. Site is commercial in that it promotes the book Keep Your Brain Alive by Lawrence C. Katz (the James B. Duke Professor of Neurobiology at the Duke University Medical Center) and Manning Rubin, but also offers examples of simple exercises you can do on a daily basis. Dr. Katz is a professor of neurobiology at the Duke University Medical Center.

Mature Matters: Memory and Aging – (University of Michigan Health System) Provides overview of memory and aging issues and answers many frequently asked questions.

Forgetfulness: It's Not Always What You Think – (National Institute on Aging) Discusses causes of, and cures for, forgetfulness.

Alzheimer's Disease Resources

Alzheimer's Association Fact Sheet – Provides a list of 10 warning signs of the disease. The informational section of the Alzheimer's Association web site also has sections on risk factors, diagnosis, treatment options, stages, myths, and statistics.

The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimer's (PBS) – Web site for the show "The Forgetting." Includes several excellent resources about Alzheimer's, including Symptoms, The Experience, Risk Factors, Coping, Together Time, and Resources.