Memory

Memory must be the most mysterious and complex of functions in the brain. Without long and short-term memory survival would be impossible because learning would be impossible. Furthermore, memory defines, more than any other single aspect of human experience, how one feels about one self and the surrounding world. What is remembered and the value that memory is given are formative issues in human development. Once an experience has occurred there is no going back and evaluating it from different angles. Memory will store the experience and emotion will judge it, be it favorably or unfavorably. These judgments are the building blocks of one’s life history.

As one ages the brain changes and therefore so does the functioning of memory, the extreme being Alzheimer’s disease and stroke related dementia. However, most 80 year old brains can do almost everything a young person’s can do; it just takes a little longer. From 40 years old on, it is harder to remember names (anomia), this has nothing to do with Alzheimer’s disease. Some things do change in the normally aging brain, such as retaining emotionally neutral data and the capacity to retain spacial cues (like where the car is parked), but these are normal changes and should not be causes of alarm.

More serious memory impairment is characterized by mood or personality changes, impaired judgment, disorientation, unusual behavior, trouble completing ordinary tasks and trouble remembering things beyond the normal range of forgetfulness. However, there is a condition called pseudo-dementia where many of these behaviors can be present. Pseudo-dementia is essentially caused by depression and if the depression is successfully treated the cognitive deficits will improve. The difficulty lies in treating depression in the later stages of life.

A recent study compared happiness and happy memories to negativity and negative memories. Those with happy memories and those with negative memories made opposite errors in accuracy when recalling their memories. The results suggest that happiness acts as a broad highlighter. It illuminates an event in memory, captures many of the details, and often expands on them. Negative emotion, on the other hand, tends to highlight events in a narrowing fashion, focusing exclusively on some details at the expense of others. In other words, our tendency toward either negative or positive emotion leads us to factually inaccurate memories that because of their emotional intensity are nonetheless perceived as real. Psychological defense mechanisms are often used to maintain a deep seated belief in the given value of a memory. If one has experienced trauma, the details and emotions associated with that memory will become narrow and rigid, making it harder to assimilate and heal. This is when denial, projection, repression and other defense mechanisms step in to protect the conscious mind from being overwhelmed.

If someone has tended toward the negative it will be harder to relinquish negative histories. For much of life one can maintain a level of activity that allows one to function by putting distance between one and one’s true feelings. As one enters into the most challenging years of aging, memory loss can accompany the inability to cope with past emotions and memories with which one has not made peace. This leads to the risk of “forgetting” as a coping mechanism in dealing with pain.

Part of a healthy memory during aging involves cognitive exercises like doing cross-word puzzles, reading, playing card games, and chess. Dealing with the emotions that come with aging is crucial in maintaining a healthy and functioning brain. It stands to reason that the earlier in life one cares for all aspects of one’s brain, the better chance of participating in the world in a satisfying way.