effects of age on memory

Effects of age on memory

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Effects of Age on Memory

One of the major concerns about aging is the possible loss of memory. Young people seem to have a quick grasp on things as their brains develop, but as they age they tend to become forgetful. This is as a result of impairment of episodic memory that carries source information that includes where and when a person learned information.

Parts of the brain essential to memory are very susceptible to aging. An area of the brain known as hippocampus loses about 5 percent of its nerve cells every twenty years (Myers & DeWall, 2014). Also the brain itself tends to shrink becoming less efficient as people grow old. Researchers have tried to come up with assumptions for this deterioration, but most of them believe that aging leads to a significant drop in the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that is fundamental to learning and memory (Cansino, et al., 2015)

As people grow old, substantial changes in the brain make it hard to remember efficiently. Losing keys, forgetting someone’s name or misplacing keys are some of the common experiences when aging that are attributed to memory loss. People who are aging may also have difficulty in processing information or learning new things. They may also find it very hard to do more than one task at any given time. For example, an aging person may not be watch television at the same time try to fry eggs. It is difficult for such a person to shift focus from the television to the cooking and vice versa.

How aging affects memory loss may also be influenced by a number of factors. This may be the emotional state of a person, the stress levels, biases, previous memories and the person’s perception. Effects of normal aging on memory result from changes within the brain and so as to understand how aging affects memory we should be able to understand how memories are stored in our brains. Research has shown that older adults use less efficient encoding and retrieval as they age (Angel et al., 2011). They also connect less in self-initiated programs due to reduced concentrating capacity.

As people grow old, their capacity to create new memories is affected, and thus it becomes difficult to learn new things. Older people require more time to learn something new, and it also takes a substantial amount of time to retrieve the said information (.

Aging also affects memory performance, and older people seem not to have confidence in themselves. Sequential performance also diminishes given that older people find it difficult to execute a series of steps required to perform routine tasks. For example, an aging person may find it difficult to remember steps required to make coffee.

Losing memory in old age may also be triggered by an event or a situation in a person’s life. Stress, anxiety and depression in elderly people may become a great contributing factor in memory loss, and may make some people forgetful or confused. It is, therefore, imperative that great caution be taken when dealing with elderly people with such conditions.

In conclusion, aging is an inevitable phenomenon, and a variety of actions has to be taken to prevent or minimize memory loss in aging. It is advisable to stay mentally active, frequently socialize, get organized and do physical exercises. A healthy diet is encouraged to ensure the risks associated with memory loss are minimized.

References

Angel, L., Fay, S., Bouazzaoui, B., & Isingrini, M. (2011). Two Hemispheres for Better Memory in Old Age: Role of Executive Functioning. Journal Of Cognitive Neuroscience, 23(12), 3767-3777.

Cansino, S., Estrada-Manilla, C., Trejo-Morales, P., Pasaye-Alcaraz, E. H., Aguilar-Castañeda, E., Salgado-Lujambio, P., & Sosa-Ortiz, A. L. (2015). fMRI subsequent source memory effects in young, middle-aged and old adults. Behavioural Brain Research,28024-35. doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2014.11.042

Myers, D., & DeWall, C. (2014). Psychology in everyday life (Third ed.). Worth.