Blanking on names? Left your iPhone in a cab?
There’s no way around the fact that memory erodes as we get older. The hippocampus, the area of your brain responsible for building memory, loses 5 percent of its nerve cells with each passing decade. Plus, aging slows production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter vital to learning and memory.
Based on these facts, scientists once believed that a person’s mental ability peaked early in adulthood, then went downhill from there. But over the last few decades, research has found that adults’ brains are still able to form new, memory-building neural networks in a process known as neuroplasticity.
The reassuring latest thinking: With a little effort, anyone can boost their power of recollection.
I ? Word Understanding
erode ? gradually destroyed
neuroplasticity ? brain’s ability to change as a result of experience
II ? Have Your Say
Here are 7 tricks to improve memory backed by science:
1. Play brain games ? activates synapses in the brain including memory area
2. Eat the right foods ? superfoods include fruits and vegetables; meat and refined sugar contribute to brain inflammation
3. Quit multitasking – it takes eight seconds to fully commit a piece of information to memory
4. Master a new skill ? study showed that learning a new skill showed improved memory for people’s names
5. Get more sleep ? losing half a night sleep can erode memory
6. Use mnemonic devices ? helps retain larger piece of information
7. Hit the gym – exercise can increase brain size
