Anti-Aging for the Mind

"Anti-Aging for the Mind" by Steve Johnson

Trying to talk to someone who has a memory disorder can be quite difficult. When people can not comprehend what is being said to them or can not find the words to express their thoughts it can make things frustrating, painful, and sometimes even embarrassing. When a person is having difficulty recalling people, objects, places, or events that have happened then they are experiencing memory loss. Some memory loss is a part of the aging process. It is only when it affects their ability to function normally that it is a concern.

There are 2 types of memory, short term and long term. Short term memory stores events or details that have been experienced only moments before. This includes names of people you just met or phone numbers you just memorized. Long term memory refers to memories of events that have taken place in the distant past. Events in the long term have to be stored in the short term memory first. And through changes of the brain this memory is transferred.

During the aging process the brain changes the way it produces important brain chemicals and information is stored differently. Aging can affect the memory by causing slower thinking and difficulty paying attention. The more distractions you have the harder it is to store the information in your memory. More cues may also be needed to remember information.

There are many different kinds of dementia. The most well known out of them i