Memory and Ageing

Misplacing car keys, embarrassing 'name-blanks', forgetting the milk - we're all familiar with memory glitches. We may attribute these moments to stress, ageing, illness, menopause or something more serious, like the onset of dementia. While forgetting is inconvenient, most people don't experience memory loss that interferes with their ability to live a normal life.

Memory changes associated with healthy ageing

"With increasing age there are changes in the brain's blood supply and mass, as well as the richness of interconnections between nerve cells," senior lecturer of psychology at Adelaide University, Lynn Ward, explains. "These changes affect the speed of our mental operations. It takes more effort to learn new things and longer time to process and recall information."

Memory involves three phases; encoding (getting information into memory), storing and retrieving. Forgetting can be due to a failure at any of these steps. Southern Health geriatrician (aged care specialist) Dr Irene Wagner says encoding is the only age-affected part of memory. "Our ability to pay attention and focus on more than one thing at a time decreases with age. Sensory losses, e.g. hearing or sight, also impact memory."

What affects our memory health?

Anything that affects physical health will affect thinking ability; acute conditions e.g. flu, or chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure. "Vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiencies may result in memory changes," Lynn says. "Smoking, alcohol abuse and a sedentary lifestyle, both physically and mentally, also negatively impact on memory health."

"Older people might think memory changes are a normal part of ageing and therefore ignore memory problems," says Lynn. "Someone else might experience one or two memory lapses and feel overwhelming concern." Negative selfstatements may also play a part e.g. 'There's no point in learning memory strategies at my age.'

Stress, grief and emotional issues affect memory health too. According to Associate Professor of Psychology at University of Queensland, Nancy Pachana, a recent study found health risks from loneliness equaled those from alcoholism. "If they lose their partner, men are at increased risk of loneliness," she reports. "This can lead to social isolation, mood changes and dramatic changes in memory and overall health."

Menopause and memory

Lynn says 60 per cent of women report memory complaints with menopause. It's a stressful and complex time of life. "Women may have teenage children, ageing parents with health issues, are working, experience hot flushes, feel unwell and don't sleep properly," Irene says. Nancy agrees: "Menopause involves huge physical changes and is often accompanied with depression and/or anxiety. While some studies have linked a drop in oestrogen with memory and verbal function changes, more reliable literature points to the associated stress and mood changes of menopause having a strong negative effect on memory."

Common fears

Have you ever experienced a memory lapse and thought 'maybe it's dementia'? Lynn says it's a common concern: "Small memory changes can put people on high-alert – particularly adults who have a parent with dementia."

"Dementia is prominent in the media and people know it is a disease that comes on slowly, often without obvious symptoms at first," Nancy adds. "This has led to the 'worried well' being concerned about their memory and having a real fear of losing the context of their life."

People who are employed are more likely to be aware of the onset of memory difficulties. For example, someone who would normally multitask might start having to write a list of jobs. Often it's a family member who picks up on a problem, e.g. a daughter might report her mum rang ten times to ask the same question.

" Older people might think memory changes are a normal part of ageing and therefore ignore memory problems." 

Natural memory loss versus dementia

Memory changes don't mean dementia. Lynn says that only a minority suffer from dementia, and older people are usually only mildly inconvenienced by memory changes.

What isn't normal memory loss;

• A memory problem that affects daily living e.g. forgetting destination while driving, frequently losing common objects and/or putting them in odd places
• Progressively worsening memory
• Forgetting how to do familiar tasks
• Trouble learning new things
• Repeating phrases or stories in the same
• conversation; substituting forgotten words with inappropriate words
• Trouble making choices or handling money
• Inability to keep track of what happens each day e.g. missing appointments
• Mood and personality changes

If more than one of the above applies to you or a family member, seek the advice of your GP. "The most obvious clue of dementia is people who experience increasingly frequent memory difficulties," Irene says. "It's also important to look at people's strengths e.g. someone who's always been great at maths might start struggling to add simple numbers"

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There's no 'one thing' you can do to improve memory or prevent memory loss. The best strategy is to do a range of things.

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Strategies to improve memory and prevent memory loss

There's no 'one thing' you can do to improve memory or prevent memory loss. The best strategy is to do a range of things. Recent studies have shown activities that involve two or more components of physical, social and mental activity (e.g. bowling, book club) are better for your memory than doing one (e.g. walking alone, reading).

Here's what you can do to improve your memory:

• Stay physically active; good for the heart = good for the brain!
• Stay mentally active – read books and newspapers, do puzzles, games and quizzes.
• Stay socially active – socialise with friends and family. If you have memory difficulties, one-on one is better than group settings.
• Maintain good nutrition through a sensible diet.
• In particular, 2-3 serves of fruit and 5-7 serves of vegetables daily, reduce saturated fats, increase omega 3 intake and eat foods rich in vitamin E, B12 and folate.
• Continue to make memories – remember; use it or lose it!
• Start a new hobby or volunteer – this can strengthen your thinking. Avoid dramatically new hobbies if you have memory difficulties.
• Avoid alcohol and cigarettes. Remember; today's actions have later health effects, and these substances put you at greater risk of stroke and cardiac conditions.
• Have regular health checks (including monitoring blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure)
• Adopt a positive approach – don't be judgemental or hard on yourself. Minimise stress, relax and take time to remember.
• Use memory strategies:

1. Internal strategies include mnemonics (e.g. spelling rhyme "I before E, except after C"), acronyms (a word formed from initial letters e.g. ANZAC), imagery (using imagination to link objects with names e.g. Fred has Fuzzy hair, Terry is Tall), association (linking to something you know), organising and categorising.

2. External strategies include diaries, calendars, whiteboards with reminders and notes. Contrary to popular belief, using lists and other memory strategies won't make your brain lazy. Environmental restructuring is another strategy e.g. 'a place for everything and everything in its place'. Object cues can also be used e.g. place an appointment letter on your fridge the night before the appointment.

Where to get help and further information

First see your GP to rule out other medical causes of memory loss. You may be referred to a geriatrician, neurologist or memory clinic for formal assessment. For information on memory loss, see the Alzheimers Australia website (www.alzheimers.org.au) or your local government health website. For activity suggestions, visit your community health centre, seniors association or the University of the Third Age (www.u3aonline.org.au).   

Content Updated November 2010