As we get older, it is not uncommon to notice that our memory is failing us, whether it is when we go shopping, during a conversation or when we have to find our glasses or our wallet, for example.THE memory loss benign are linked to the natural aging of the brainexplained to Current wife Professor Maï Panchal, researcher and general director of the Fondation Vaincre Alzheimer. They occur from the age of 50, and sometimes earlier from the age of 30.”
But then, what can be done to maintain a good memory with age? After journal Being Patient, Dr. Mark D’Esposito, neurologist at the University of California at Berkeley, discusses how the brain works and how brain plasticity helps improve memory.
Brain plasticity: how does the brain work?
As Dr. Mark D’Esposito explains to Being Patient, Brain plasticity refers to the way the brain functions and changes over time. For a long time, it was thought that neurons diminished with age, an “inevitability” called into question with the notion of brain plasticity. “The real revolution of the last 20 years lies in the fact that the brain has an astonishing plasticity, which allows it to change, at any age”he adds.
According to him, “The brain is organized in a network, (…) and it is made up of modules.” These modules refer to the different functions of the body, such as language, motor skills, etc. But its functioning can change at any age. “What happens in brain plasticity is not that these individual modules change; It’s the way they communicate with each other”, he explains.
But how is this reflected? Deborah Kan, founder of Being Patientwho questions the specialist, explains that when learning a musical instrument (the piano), the first six months, she concentrated on her left hand (the latter being right-handed). But after this period, her attention was balanced between her hands and the score.
For Dr. Mark D’Esposito, this learning did not occur through the creation of new neurons but it is a reorganization of neurons. “In fact, these are the neurons that we reorganized. (…) What happens in brain plasticity is not that these individual modules change; It’s the way they talk to each other,” he illustrates.
Memory: what are the reflexes to take to take care of your brain?
Also, to take care of your brain, the specialist recalls some fundamental needs common to each organ such as a supply of oxygen and blood flow. “Currently, this also means good vascular health. We must have vessels that are not obstructed by atherosclerosis. We must be healthy. We have to sleep”, he explains.
But the specialist emphasizes that the neurons must be stimulated. “When networks are more integrated, more communicative and able to really take information from all walks of life and bring it together, our brains are healthier,” he emphasizes. To do this, he recommends being flexible and setting new goals.
Some habits to adopt to stimulate the brain
Firstly, the specialist emphasizes that if you suffer from memory loss linked to work or long-term memories, it is possible to follow cognitive training protocols. This must be done with a healthcare professional. Otherwise, the specialist recommends stimulating your brain every day with simple activities.
Dr. Camille Heitz, neurologist, recommended to Current wife some exercises to boost your memory. In particular, she advised staying active and not limiting yourself to activities where you are passive, such as watching television. Likewise, certain activities such as cooking help stimulate intellectual abilities. It requires organization, planning, gesture skills and concentration. Finally, reading and board games are ideal, because they allow you to work on certain areas such as language or calculation.
Source :
- Want to Boost Your Memory? A Neurologist on How to Optimize Brain Function – Being Patient (21/06/2024)
