Why Did I Come in This Room?

Leonard Pitts, one of my favorite columnists, recently wrote a column on forgetfulness. He wrote that as he approached the thirtieth commemoration of his thirtieth birthday, he finds that happens a lot lately. It reminded him of an old expression; “Of all the things I’ve lost, I miss my mind the most.” He couldn’t remember who said that and cited numerous episodes he’d had of forgetting.

 I relate to that. A few weeks ago I was thinking I needed to start cutting down shrubs that keep popping up everywhere. Although I’ve had them for years and years, I couldn’t remember the name of them. So I looked through garden catalogs and found they were; ‘Rose of Sharon.’ I felt so foolish. How could I forget something I’ve had for years? Then I wanted to get some of that frozen stuff for punch I was making, something that wasn’t ice cream, but fruity at the grocery store, but I couldn’t find it and couldn’t ask anyone because I couldn’t remember what it was called. Then I saw it on a bottom shelf in the freezer; sherbet. Again I felt stupid.

Based on this article, I decided to blog about it. (If one of my fellow bloggers has already blogged about this topic, please forgive my forgetfulness.) So I went to my old friend Google to see what it had to say about it. There was too much to write everything, so I’ll hit the highlights of several articles.

First was an article entitled “Major cause of age-related memory loss discovered.” I’d heard about it on NPR, and maybe many of you have already heard of this discovery by researchers from Columbia University Medical Center. It seems that a protein RbAp48 deficiency in the brain is a major cause of age-related memory loss. The study was published online in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The researchers say this form of memory loss is reversible. Of course, it may be some years before it can apply to us, but it’s working in mice.

WebMD in an article titled “Is Your Memory Normal?” wrote “They say that memory loss is the second thing to happen as you get older. So what’s the first? Ummm, I forgot!” The article states that mild memory loss is perfectly normal – especially as we age. If we forget simple things, we’re not necessarily developing Alzheimer’s disease. There are a lot of people just like us who misplace things, can’t remember the name of a person they recognize, but haven’t seen for a while or only met once.  Stuart Zola, PhD,  a research career scientist who has dedicated his work to memory function, says it happens as young as in the 20s and 30s, but we worry more about it when we hit fifties and older.  He said, “Memory is tricky, and time is the worst enemy. Shortly after taking in information, memory traces begin to deteriorate; some fade right away, some less quickly and a lot depends on the nature of the information, how important the information is and also depends on our stress level. All are things that can affect memory. 

Another thing I found interesting was that if we’ve had a debate with someone about something we both experienced in the past and disagree with the other’s perception of it, it’s because the longer the period of time that passes between the event and trying to recall it, the greater the chance we’re going to have some memory distortions and forgetting. Sometimes the time distortion causes us to forget the event totally.

Some things that can cause memory problems are: alcoholism, Vitamin B-12 deficiency (must put that on my shopping list) infections, and drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter. Also, Zola said depression and stress are the most common reasons for temporary memory problems.

Some things we can do to help:

Focus your attention. Forgetfulness may indicate that you have too much on your mind. Slow down and focus on the task at hand. Multitasking and not paying attention are some of the biggest causes of forgetfulness, especially in young people.

Reduce stress. Stress can endanger the brain areas involved with memory processing and impair memory.

Choose to snooze. Zola says sleep is important because fatigue can affect memory and concentration in any age group.

Structure your environment. Use calendars, clocks, lists, notes, and write down daily activities on a planner or use an electric organizer. Store easy-to-lose items in the same place each time after using them. Park your car in the same place at the office each day.

Try memory tricks. To remember a person’s name, repeat it several times after being introduced. Use the same PIN for all of your accounts if necessary.

 

In another article I found online: “Forgetfulness - Tips for the Absentminded,” it gives more tips like for when you lose your train of thought (something I do all too often). The advice?  Don’t freak out. The other person will probably remind you about what you were saying. Probably what I liked best was keep a sense of humor. Maintain a healthy perspective about forgetfulness. Try to laugh about it. And, of course, we all know if we don’t use our brains, they will atrophy.  Gary Small, MD, author of The Memory Bible, advises that we also need to keep physically fit, and eat a healthy diet rich in antioxidants. And Zola says challenging oneself by learning new things, reading and taking up hobbies keep the brain active and strong for the long haul. And somewhere in these articles, but I forget where, keeping socially active is important, too.

I believe these are all important, but I also think the older we get the more we have stored in our brains which makes it much harder to access those little bits of facts and memories.  After all your computer only has so much hard drive capacity, why isn’t that true of our brains. But then, I can remember my mom telling me over and over when I was a kid that if my head wasn’t attached I would lose it so maybe I’m just using that thought as an excuse. I did learn though, that if we have the presence of mind to worry about Alzheimer’s, we don’t have it.

What memory problems do you have?