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Health See other Health Articles Title: You're Experiencing Memory-Loss and Don't Even Know it The findings of a salient memory study were recently published in the Journal of Neuorscience. Results suggest that our memories operate very similarly to the way the childhood game of “telephone” works. In case you need a refresher course on the game, here's the basic run-down: A group of kids sit in a circle. Someone starts by thinking of a phrase or a sentence and whispering it into the ear of the person sitting beside him or her. Next, the receiver of the original message repeats what they heard to the next person sitting in the circle. This trend continues until every single person has heard the message. Finally, the last recipient tells the group what the original statement was. Most often, the messages become all jumbled up and scarcely resemble the original message at all. The more people, the greater the room for error. Now scientific researchers are saying that our memories function in the same manner. In other words, our memories do not function like still-photographs at all. One of the study's lead authors, Donna Bridge asserts, “We mix up details, we forget things. We’re likely to remember this incorrect information just as much as we are the correct (memory).” That means the more you try to recall an event, the more distorted your memory of that particular event may be. According to CNNHealth, this is how the study proved that notion: Bridge, a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, asked 12 participants to take a memory test on three subsequent days. The first day, study participants repeatedly placed 180 objects in an assigned location - different for each one - on a computer screen grid. The second day they were asked to place those objects in the same positions. Twenty-four hours later, they did it again. Bridge measured the distance between where participants placed the object and the correct assigned location. She found that by the third day, participants were placing the object much closer to where they placed the object on the second day than where it was supposed to go. "This act of remembering ... is an experience in itself," Bridge says. "You might not even be able to distinguish between the original memory and the subsequent event of remembering it." Based on these findings, researchers are trying to figure out what this means. There are two basic theories at work here: The first theory suggests that there is an access problem. Researches used an analogy of your brain being compared to a closet full of items that look alike. Each time your brain recalls a memory, it simultaneously creates a new item (memory) that is quite similar to the first and stores it at the front. Next time you reflect upon that event and go to grab the item (memory) from your closet (brain), you'll recall the new, slightly altered version of the original memory – just like the game of “telephone.” Each time you think about it, your brain distorts the memory further... The second theory considers that the brain merely suffers from a storage overload. Every time you reach in to grab something (a memory) out, another memory withers away, or your brain simply throws in whatever you happen to have in your hands (whatever you happen to be thinking about). CNN explains: “Imagine a school locker full of books, binders and miscellaneous junk. Every time you open that locker to grab the memory something falls out, or your brain throws in whatever you happen to have in your hands. Next time you open the locker your keys are missing and a new set of pens has magically appeared.” This is a very bizarre phenomenon to consider since we base so much of our future lives based on past memories and lessons learned from experiences long gone. But I wouldn't fret too much if you are doubting the strength of your memory. If you are worried about boosting your memory these simple tricks will help: take breaks, shut your eyes, and rest. Whether you're trying to process large amounts of information for work-related matters, or simply trying to tell a story from your younger days, a few little brain training tricks are key... As far as diet goes, you should go for fish – the DHA, a type of omega-3 fatty acid found in salmon, trout, and some fortified foods such as yogurt, will help keep your memory in check. Ginkgo biloba is a good choice if you think you aren't getting enough of a memory-boost from your fish-heavy diet. As with all matters of health, keeping active is important. Signing up for a yoga class and multitasking at the gym – grab a crossword puzzle while your riding a stationary bike or listen to advanced vocabulary words on an iPod while jogging –will help keep your brain working as hard as your body is. Aside from your physical well-being, your memory is directly tied to your mental well-being as well. WRITE THINGS DOWN, practice repetition, try solving sudoku puzzles, maintain a healthy level of social interaction, and – by all means – make sure you're getting adequate amounts of sleep to keep your brain performing at its best. In conclusion, shut your eyes, eat the right foods, and consider dropping a few pounds... +5 - Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012 The findings of a salient memory study were recently published in the Journal of Neuorscience. Results suggest that our memories operate very similarly to the way the childhood game of “telephone” works. In case you need a refresher course on the game, here's the basic run-down: A group of kids sit in a circle. Someone starts by thinking of a phrase or a sentence and whispering it into the ear of the person sitting beside him or her. Next, the receiver of the original message repeats what they heard to the next person sitting in the circle. This trend continues until every single person has heard the message. Finally, the last recipient tells the group what the original statement was. Most often, the messages become all jumbled up and scarcely resemble the original message at all. The more people, the greater the room for error. Now scientific researchers are saying that our memories function in the same manner. In other words, our memories do not function like still-photographs at all. One of the study's lead authors, Donna Bridge asserts, “We mix up details, we forget things. We’re likely to remember this incorrect information just as much as we are the correct (memory).” That means the more you try to recall an event, the more distorted your memory of that particular event may be. According to CNNHealth, this is how the study proved that notion: Bridge, a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, asked 12 participants to take a memory test on three subsequent days. The first day, study participants repeatedly placed 180 objects in an assigned location - different for each one - on a computer screen grid. The second day they were asked to place those objects in the same positions. Twenty-four hours later, they did it again. Bridge measured the distance between where participants placed the object and the correct assigned location. She found that by the third day, participants were placing the object much closer to where they placed the object on the second day than where it was supposed to go. "This act of remembering ... is an experience in itself," Bridge says. "You might not even be able to distinguish between the original memory and the subsequent event of remembering it." Based on these findings, researchers are trying to figure out what this means. There are two basic theories at work here: The first theory suggests that there is an access problem. Researches used an analogy of your brain being compared to a closet full of items that look alike. Each time your brain recalls a memory, it simultaneously creates a new item (memory) that is quite similar to the first and stores it at the front. Next time you reflect upon that event and go to grab the item (memory) from your closet (brain), you'll recall the new, slightly altered version of the original memory – just like the game of “telephone.” Each time you think about it, your brain distorts the memory further... The second theory considers that the brain merely suffers from a storage overload. Every time you reach in to grab something (a memory) out, another memory withers away, or your brain simply throws in whatever you happen to have in your hands (whatever you happen to be thinking about). CNN explains: “Imagine a school locker full of books, binders and miscellaneous junk. Every time you open that locker to grab the memory something falls out, or your brain throws in whatever you happen to have in your hands. Next time you open the locker your keys are missing and a new set of pens has magically appeared.” This is a very bizarre phenomenon to consider since we base so much of our future lives based on past memories and lessons learned from experiences long gone. But I wouldn't fret too much if you are doubting the strength of your memory. If you are worried about boosting your memory these simple tricks will help: take breaks, shut your eyes, and rest. Whether you're trying to process large amounts of information for work-related matters, or simply trying to tell a story from your younger days, a few little brain training tricks are key... As far as diet goes, you should go for fish – the DHA, a type of omega-3 fatty acid found in salmon, trout, and some fortified foods such as yogurt, will help keep your memory in check. Ginkgo biloba is a good choice if you think you aren't getting enough of a memory-boost from your fish-heavy diet. As with all matters of health, keeping active is important. Signing up for a yoga class and multitasking at the gym – grab a crossword puzzle while your riding a stationary bike or listen to advanced vocabulary words on an iPod while jogging –will help keep your brain working as hard as your body is. Aside from your physical well-being, your memory is directly tied to your mental well-being as well. WRITE THINGS DOWN, practice repetition, try solving sudoku puzzles, maintain a healthy level of social interaction, and – by all means – make sure you're getting adequate amounts of sleep to keep your brain performing at its best. In conclusion, shut your eyes, eat the right foods, and consider dropping a few pounds... +5 Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
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