How do we discuss memory issues with a doctor when memory is the issue? This is a question that is being asked by many. Dr. Mario Mendez was asked this question, the natural wonder of “am I losing it?” memory that is. Dr. Mario Mendez, director of behavioral neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at U.C.L.A. explains it this way. Memory changes, he says.
In a study of nearly 50,000 people, researchers found that short term memory peaks around age 25. “But starting in your fifties,” Dr. Mendez said, “the part of your brain in charge of memory is less efficient.”
Understanding the normal and abnormal characteristics of memory is essential if you want to understand cognitive change. Some people have memory issues at different parts of their life. 48,537 online participants have been analyzed through IQ tests and memory tests. Being less on top of things is different from impairment. However thousands of Americans are living with dementia every day and just don’t know it.
The sharpness of the mind is like a blade. It needs to be sharpened as it is used.
Forgetting someone’s name or your dorm keys is many times seen as an inconvenient malfunction of the brain. It is simply not. There is so much information being input every day that forgetting is just a natural function of the brain. The brain can only hold so much information some must be dumped.
THERE ARE WAYS TO STAY SHARP
Even though memory changes through life inevitably, there is still good reason to work to keep a sharp memory. Instead of novel tricks like reciting the alphabet to remember a name there are a few core lifestyle changes that can be intergrated. Such as limiting multi-tasking, lowering stress, and sleeping well are all key factors
So to answer the question: How do we discuss memory issues with a doctor when memory is the issue? Don’t be afraid to reach out. To anyone.