By: Brad Hankins
Consult Your Primary Care Provider Before Making Changes to Your Medications, Diet or Beginning/Changing an Exercise Program
This is our third in series of columns on brain health, this month we will explore memory. It goes without saying that memory is a vital human process, for example social interactions would be limited if you couldn’t recall who your family members are, plus it would make Thanksgiving awkward. We use memory for problem solving, like answering test questions or assembling Ikea furniture. It keeps us safe through planning and navigating familiar and unfamiliar places and avoiding things that previously harmed us. In a large sense we are our memory, and our memory is us.
There are three types of memory:
- Sensory memory, or sensory register, is a quick (0.2 – 2 seconds) collection of information from our senses. Once the information collection is complete it moves to either your short-term memory or other parts of the brain for memory storage. Those memories are brief. Our capacity for sensory memory is huge, because we are usually using multiple senses at the same time. Sensory memory ensures we are aware of what we are immediately experiencing, it helps keep us safe and at the same time enjoy the world around us. Some examples of sensory memories are:
- The melody of a song continuing after the song has finished playing
- Continuing to feel the touch of someone after they let go of your hand
- The taste of food after you have finished eating
- Seeing the colors of fireworks after they have faded
- Continuing to smell bread after walking out of a bakery
- Short term memory https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK545136/ , or active memory, temporarily holds information from seconds to minutes and this information is (supposedly) easily accessible. While sensory memory stores experiences, short term memory stores information you have learned. Short term memory receives and process sensory information and converts short term memories into long term memories. On a good day you can hold five to seven items in your short-term memory, like a phone number or a license plate number, for about 15 to 30 seconds. After that the information is moved to your long-term memory. However, there is a difference between working memory and short-term memory. Working memory is temporary story of information you can change, or manipulate to help with reasoning, learning and understanding while short term memory is a temporary storage space of unchangeable information, not unlike a sticky note. Short term memory is an essential part of your cognitive functioning. It may be temporary storage, but it has an important role. For instance, by the time you finish reading this sentence, your short-term memory has already removed the previous sentence from its temporary storage space to make room for this sentence.
- Long term memory https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549791/ is a nearly permanent storage space for learned information and experiences. The main function of long-term memory is to be an archive – to make short term memories more permanent. There are two main types of long-term memory:
- Explicit memory is the storage of facts, events, and locations. You are always adding to this storage space and recalling this information as needed.
- Implicit memory is the storage of learned skills, habits and relationships. You are not consciously aware of when you are learning this information, but you can recall it at any time.
Together these two areas (and their multiple subareas) allow us to learn and perform tasks, relate to past experiences, make connections, adjust to our environment, and recall how to tie your shoes and turn on your phone – along with a yet-to-be fully understood multitude of other functions and processes. An astounding number of memories last years or decades and some a lifetime.
We have previously discussed things can affect all three memory types such as poor blood flow but other conditions impact memory as well such as traumatic physical injuries, acute and chronic disease, and psychological/emotional trauma https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/memory-loss-and-forgetfulness/memory-problems-forgetfulness-and-aging .
How can we exercise our memory? Every activity listed above is a memory exercise, and we can also add the following:
- Focus – be aware where you set your car keys or phone down. Reduce distractions (both internal and external), the object is to seamlessly move information from sensory to short term to long term memory.
- If you don’t already, start journaling – on paper using a pen. If you already journal, make it a daily practice.
- Put puzzles and Lego projects together – activities requiring you to remember instructions/sequences and placements.
- Play memory games such as Sudoku, do a daily online cross word, play online word games such as Wordle, Strands and Letter Boxed.
- Play chess, checkers, even video games.
- Memorize your shopping list, begin by memorizing five items then work your way up.
- Become and stay organized in your home – make a happy place for everything.
- Stay physically active, exercise regularly – at least three days a week for an hour or more.
- Learn new skills – a new language or musical instrument.
- Listen to complex music (to suit your taste) such as classical and jazz.
- Learn new physical activities – dance, Taichi, yoga, pickleball, martial arts.
- Stay social, which has different meanings in these modern times, and stay connected to others.
- Read books, the kind made of paper.
- Improve you sleep patterns and sleep time – we could do an entire series on this subject alone – but research, explore and experiment with new ways to help you sleep.
- If you don’t already, meditate daily. If you don’t meditate or haven’t in a while explore the numerous apps out there to help you ease into a daily practice.
- Take your medications as prescribed and explore all available resources to help manage chronic health conditions.
I would enjoy hearing about your fitness journey, please feel free to email me at hankinsb@ssymca.net.
Brad Hankins RN, CPT
