Memory
How-to slow down memory loss: 3 tips (Video)
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 9 US adults 45 years and older report memory issues. And 40% of US adults 65 years and older have age-associated memory impairment. As we age, certain cognitive functions naturally decline, like our memory. This...
3 tips for improving memory (Video)
Can you remember where you put your keys last night? What about that mental grocery list you swore you didn’t need to write down? A bad memory can be stressful and frustrating. Here are three tips that will help you improve it: One, don’t just think it—say it. You’re...
Three types of memory important to learning: working, short-term, and long-term memory
Memory can make learning difficult, but the good news is that you can work to improve your memory. There are three main types of memory: working memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. Working memory and short-term memory allow you to store and use temporary...
Eating an excessive amount of spicy food might increase risk of dementia; study participants who consumed more than 50 grams of chili a day had double the risk of memory decline
New research shows that spicy food—chili in particular—might lead to a greater risk of dementia. Participants who ate more than 50 grams of chili a day had a higher risk of experiencing cognitive decline with age. Researchers analyzed 4582 Chinese individuals over the...
What are the different types of memory? Understanding the functions of long and short-term memory
There are two main categories of memory: short and long-term memory, which differ in what information is stored and how.Short-term memory is essentially responsible for storing temporary information and deciding what to do with it: throw it away or pass it to our...
Memory problems: a ubiquitous phenomenon in depression
A cardinal feature of depression, like other mental health conditions such as anxiety or trauma, is difficulty with memory: remembering, recalling, and—sometimes in severe cases—recognizing people, things, tasks, memories, events, and to-dos. Often, people with...
Memory loss and early signs of Alzheimer’s disease: Individuals forget how to perform simple tasks, get lost in familiar places, and can become depressed
Alzheimer’s diminishes one’s memory, ability to think, and everyday functioning; currently, an estimated 5.8 million Americans suffer from the disease. That said, memory loss doesn’t always signify Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia—instead, we might experience a...
Can you prevent memory loss? Use social support, music, exercise, and sleep to your advantage
Many worry about memory loss as they get older, which is a reasonable concern, considering a large percentage of adults lose their memory as they age. Fortunately, though, we can take preventative measures: first, it’s important we maintain a strong social network and...
Heightened emotions create unreliable memories
A recent study says emotional or traumatic events can create false memories, despite the widespread belief that traumatic events are more vivid and, therefore, reliable. The latter belief is called flashbulb memory, which says that emotional events cause us to...
Memory distortion is real: Here’s why your brain creates false memories
Rarely do we second guess the validity of our memory, but the truth is that our minds do sometimes deceive us by creating false memories.A recent study demonstrated this phenomenon, as participants claimed to remember viewing footage of United 93 crashing in...
