"Memory, the warder of the brain."
--William
Shakespeare Macbeth Act 1
Memory and aging
Memory: "The power or
process of reproducing or recalling what has been learned and
retained" (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Our ability to remember and
to recall our past is what links us to our families, to our
friends, to our community.
- As we age, subtle changes in memory occur, sometimes unnoticed,
but at other times disturbing to ourselves or others.
- Most normal changes in memory and cognition ("The act or
process of knowing including both awareness and judgment") are of
little importance, as they do not interfere with our daily
activities or our quality of life.
- But when memory loss prevents us from performing daily tasks
and our accustomed roles in life it becomes a health concern that
needs further evaluation by health care professionals.
What is normal aging and memory?
As we age, slight
changes occur in our cognition that affect memory. Simple
forgetfulness (the "missing keys") and delay or slowing in
recalling names, dates, and events can be part of the normal
process of aging. Memory has various forms, though, that might be
affected differently by aging.
Preserved memory functions | Declining memory functions |
- Remote memory
- Procedural memory (performing tasks)
- Semantic recall (general knowledge)
| - Learning new information
- Recalling new information (takes longer to learn something new
and to recall it)
|
What other changes occur with normal aging and
cognition?
- Language ("The words, their pronunciation, and the
methods of combining them used and understood by a community") is
modestly affected by aging.
- Language comprehension (understanding the rules of language) is
preserved, as are vocabulary (semantic memory) and syntax (the way
in which words are put together).
- Some modest decline is seen with spontaneous word finding ("tip
of the tongue") and verbal fluency (takes longer to "get the words
out").
- While verbal intelligence (vocabulary) remains unchanged with
aging, the speed of information processing gradually slows (such as
problem-solving skills).
- Executive functions (planning, abstracting) remain normal for
everyday tasks, but are slowed when faced with novel tasks or
divided attention ("multi-tasking").
- A slowing of the speed of cognitive processing and reaction
time ("hitting the buzzer") occur with aging.
When is memory not so normal?
Amnesia
("memory loss") is not a part of the normal aging process. While it
may take longer to learn new information (for example, names of
people) or to recall learned information (for example, names of
friends in photos), with a little time and extra effort memory
occurs. Some people are more forgetful, but this might be because
of health conditions (for example, depression, heart disease,
thyroid disease and vitamin deficiencies) or medication
effects.