Memory+and+Aging

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Basic Memory Structure
Short term memory is the capacity for holding small amounts of information for short amounts of time. The rule for capacity of short term memory is 7-2, meaning 7 is the average amount, give or take about 2 elements. Long term memory and capacity. Long-term memory is the storage of all experiences, events, information, and other details that have been acquired from short term and working memories. Its capacity is very massive and much larger than short term memory. Working memory and capacity. Working memory is the memory that is associated with storing tasks such as reasoning and comprehension. Its capacity is similar to short term memory in that it is limited.

Memory Aids/ Preventing Memory Loss
Rehearsal is a technique used to recall information in which the person repeats the information in his or her head, and increases the capacity of short term memory. Chunking is the process of grouping items so that the group is similar. This is another technique used in increasing the capacity of short term memory. Mnemonics are devices that associate a series of facts with previously encoded information in order to encode the new facts, and is a technique used to prevent memory loss (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2005) .

Natural Aging
 As we age, our brains decrease in mass and size. Specific regions, such as the Frontal Lobe, shrink and decrease in activity. Long range intercommunication amongst different regions of the brain are also affected during natural aging. When given a task that requires two large-scale neural networks that span the length of the brain and involve various regions the brain regions of a young mind were in sync and active, while the brains of people aged 60 or over were less active and less in sync with other regions.

In the younger brain on the bottom left activity (shown in yellow and orange) spans across two separate regions of the brain, whereas the brain on the right only shows limited amounts of activity in centralized regions. This depicts the difficulty of synchronizing different regions with the onset of age. (Bownds, 2008)



Neurons in the brain die off at a more rapid rate than neurons are produced. The synapses between the neurons begin to falter because of the loss of cells in the brain, and our retrieval of memories becomes worse over time. The loss of neurons in the brain results in a loss of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that is important in memory and learning. As we age, the outer covering of the nerves, which is called myelin, begins to fray and memory begins to fail. Certain brain parts such as the hippocampus looses a large portion of its nerve cells, which causes information storage and memory to become less efficient ("Memory," 2011).



 The brain remains capable of regrowth and of learning and retaining new facts and skills throughout life, especially for people who get regular exercise and frequent intellectual stimulation. Although there are tremendous differences among individuals, some cognitive abilities continue to improve well into older age, some are constant, and some decline. Semantic memory continues to improve for many older adult and procedural memory remains the same more or less. However, both episodic and longer term memory decline somewhat over time. Other brain functions that may decrease slightly or slow down include information processing, learning new thinks, and multitasking (Viereck, 2009).

 It has been proven that people who believe memory does not deteriorate with age tend to have a better memory than someone who believes they will forget. For example, Chinese and American subjects were used in a study from Johns Hopkins University. The Chinese believe memory does not decrease with age, and the study showed the elderly Chinese performing well on memory tests, just as well as the youngest people. Americans, on the other hand, believe their memory abilities will decrease with age, and did not do as well as the elderly Chinese on the memory tests ("Memory," 2011).

Alzheimer's Disease
 Alzheimer's Disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 50% to 80% of all dementia cases. This disease starts out slowly, and gradually changes ones behavior, ability to remember, and ability to think. Symptoms, although not perceptible at first, will eventually become so severe that it interferes with daily life. Although the risk factor increases with age, and the majority of people afflicted with Alzheimer's are 65 years or older, Alzheimer's is not exclusively a disease for the elderly. Of all Alzheimer's cases, 5% are a result of Early-Onset Alzheimer's where symptoms begin to show in a persons mid 40's. Alzheimer's is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States, and there is currently no cure. Treatment is available to slow the progression of the disease and researchers are searching for a cure (Alzheimer’s Association, 2010).

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Alzheimer's disease slowly progresses throughout many areas of the brain killing neurons and preventing neural messages from reaching their destination. Damage spreads slowly and irreversably, starting with the portions of the brain in charge of memory, then traveling to portions of the brain in charge of higher order thinking and problem solving, until the disease eventually reaches the parts of the brain in charge of cognition and bodily processes. Alzheimer's patients often die as a result of the brain not being able to communicate with to the lungs to continue breathing or the heart to continue beating (Alzheimer’s Association, 2010).

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Memory problems as people age are not always as a result of Alzheimers. A large variety of factors can come into play, including: <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12pt;">• Anxiety <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12pt;">• Dehydration <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12pt;">• Depression <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12pt;">• Infections <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12pt;">• Medication side effects <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12pt;">• Poor nutrition <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12pt;">• Psychological stress <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 12pt;">• Substance abuse <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> • Thyroid imbalance (Viereck, 2009)

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<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">On the left is a brain effected by Alzheimer's Disease, darkened by beta-amyloid plaques and protein tangles; On the right is a normal brain

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Two abnormal structures that researchers charge with killing neurons and causing the symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease are plaques and tangles. Plaques are waste deposits of the protein beta-amyloid and build up in the spaces between neurons. Tangles are clusters of another waste protein called tau that builds up inside the neuron. While plaques and tangles are present in a healthy brain, Alzheimer's patients tend to have an increased amount of them, and have them spread in a predictable pattern around the regions of the brain. Specifically, plaques and tangles block communication amongst neurons and disrupt processes necessary for the cell to survive and thrive (Alzheimer’s Association, 2010).

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The series of skulls below illustrates the stages of Alzheimer's as plaques and tangles spread to different structures of the brain.







(Alzheimer’s Association, 2010)

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Works Cited:
Alzheimer's Association. (2010, January 13). //What is alzheimer's//. Retrieved from http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp

Bownds, D. (2008, April 30). //Deric bownds' mindblog//. Retrieved from []

Gerrig, R., & Zimbardo, P. (2005). //Psychology and life//. (17 ed., p. 607). Boston

//Memory//. (2011). Retrieved from http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/happens-our-memory-age

Viereck, E. (2009, September 28). // Memory and aging //. Retrieved from www.apa.org/pi/aging/memory-and-aging.pdf