American neurologist gives tips to protect memory from aging

Memory gets weaker as we get older. This is an ingrained assumption for many people. However, according to Richard Restak, a neuroscientist, neurologist and professor at the George Washington University Hospital School of Medicine and Health, this decline is not inevitable.

Author of more than 20 books on the mind, Restak has decades of experience in counseling patients with memory problems.

His most recent book, “The Complete Guide to Memory: The Science of Strengthening Your Mind,” includes tools such as mental exercises and sleeping and eating habits that can help improve memory.

However, Restak ventures beyond this familiar territory, considering all facets of memory – how it connects to creative thinking, the impact of technology on memory, how memory shapes identity: “The aim of the book is to overcome the problems of everyday memory.” Mainly working memory problems, situated between immediate and long-term memory, and related to intelligence, coordination and achievement.

According to the neurologist, this is the most critical type of memory, and exercises to strengthen it should be practiced daily. He added that strengthening all memory skills is essential to ward off future problems.

The doctor argues in the book that memory decline caused by aging is not inevitable. On the other hand, he points out ten “sins” or “obstacles that can lead to the loss or distortion of memories”.

Seven of these factors were first described by psychologist and memory expert Daniel Lawrence Schacter as “sins of omission,” such as lack of concentration, and “sins of action,” such as distorted memories.

To these seven, Restak added three more: technological distortion, technological distraction and depression, saying that, ultimately, “we are what we remember.” Here are some Restak tips for developing and maintaining a healthy memory.

Pay more attention

Some memory lapses are actually attention problems: for example, if you forgot the name of someone you met at a cocktail party, it could be because you were talking to several people at the time and weren’t paying attention when you heard it.

“Inattention is the biggest cause of memory difficulties, because it means you weren’t able to properly encode that memory.”

One way to pay attention when receiving new information, such as a name, is to visualize the word. Associating an image with this word can improve recall, as illustrated by Restak himself, who recently had to memorize the name of a doctor, Dr. King (an easy example, he acknowledged). So he envisioned a doctor “in a white coat with a crown on his head and a scepter in his hand instead of a stethoscope.”

Challenge your memory daily

There are many memory exercises that can be integrated into daily life, such as the suggestion to memorize a shopping list. When you arrive at the store, do not automatically check the list (or cell phone). Instead, pick up items as you remember them. Try to visualize the products in your mind and refer to the list only at the end if necessary, Restak instructed.

If you don’t go to the grocery store, memorize a recipe. The neurologist added that the habit of cooking is effectively a great way to improve working memory.

Every now and then, get in the car without turning on the GPS and try to remember the way. A small 2020 study suggested that people who used GPS more often had more pronounced spatial memory cognitive decline three years later.

help yourself to games

Games like bridge and chess are great for memory, as are simpler games, according to Restak. The game of 20 questions, for example, is his favorite to exercise working memory.

In this one, a group (or individual) thinks about a person, a place or an object, and the other person asks up to 20 questions whose answer is yes or no. To win the game, the person asking the questions needs to remember all previous answers in order to guess the correct answer.

Another tried-and-true memory exercise by Restak requires only pen and paper, or an audio recorder: First, remember all the American presidents in descending order, starting with Joe Biden and going all the way up to Franklin D. Roosevelt, for example, and keep taking notes or recording this sequence; then repeat the operation starting with Roosevelt until reaching Biden. Then list only the presidents of the Democratic party, and only the presidents of the Republican party, and finally, make a list in alphabetical order.

If you prefer, try doing the same exercise with the players of your favorite team or with your favorite writers. The goal is to engage working memory, “mindfully holding and moving information around,” Restak wrote.

Read more novels

According to the neurologist, an early indicator of memory problems is giving up reading fiction: “When people start to have memory difficulties, they usually start reading non-fiction.”

Over decades of treating patients, he has noted that fiction requires active engagement with the text, from start to finish: “When you get to page 11, you have to remember what the character did on page three.”

Take care of technology

Among the three new sins of memory included by Restak, two are related to technology.
The first is what he calls “technological distortion.” By storing all the information on the phone, it means that “you are unaware of it, which can deteriorate your mental abilities. Why bother concentrating and straining to visualize something when the phone’s camera can do all the work?” work for you?” he wrote.

The second sin is that our relationship with technology is harmful to memory because it often distracts from the task at hand. “Throughout the day, the biggest obstacle to memory is distraction.”

Since several technological devices were developed with the aim of addicting the user, we ended up getting distracted by them. Nowadays, it is possible to check emails and watch Netflix while chatting with a friend or walking down the street. All of this diminishes our ability to focus on the present moment, which is fundamental to the memory encoding process.

Seek support from a mental health professional if needed

Mood greatly influences what we do or what we remember. Depression, for example, can greatly diminish memory. “Among those who are referred to a neurologist for memory problems, many are depressed,” Restak said.

Emotional state affects memories. The hippocampus (or “memory formation center”) and the amygdala (the part of the brain that manages emotions and emotional behavior) are connected. Therefore, “when one is in a bad mood or depressed, one tends to remember sad things.” Treating depression — through medication or psychotherapy — often restores memory as well.

Determine if there is cause for concern

Restak said that over the course of his career, dozens of patients asked him how to improve their memory. But not all memory lapses are problematic. For example, it is very normal for you not to remember where you parked your car in a crowded parking lot; forgetting how you got to the parking lot, however, indicates potential problems.

According to Restak, there is no simple formula for what should be considered worrisome, because much of it depends on context. It is normal, for example, for you to forget your hotel room number, but not your apartment address. If you’re worried, it’s best to consult a specialist.