New research finds that people with PTSD who do not receive treatment have a higher risk of developing dementia later in life. This research also finds that veterans diagnosed with PTSD (who are more likely to receive treatment for PTSD compared with the general population) have a reduced risk of…
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 means that we can’t always prevent…
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 more…
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 information, while long-term holds your lifelong…
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 age of 55 for 15 years: the…
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 long-term memory. Long-term memory, on the…
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 depression will have great difficulty remembering where things in the house or at work may…
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 simply lapse in our memory. It’s important to distinguish the difference and understand…
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 prioritize time with other people. Additionally, we…
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 completely capture the context of the event and our reaction…
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 Pennsylvania on September 11—but this never…
Implicit memory is recalled unconsciously; a common form is procedural memories, which help us walk, talk, and drive a car on a regular basis without much effort. An Implicit Association Test was created to test our associations with particular individuals; it urges subjects to make quick judgments and often indicates…