Take your health into your own hands

Take your health into your own hands

Take your health into your own hands

Short-term and long-term memory

Memory is a function of the central nervous system that enables all animal beings to be able to make the best use of knowledge from experience: thus, old and new difficulties or problems from the outside world can be dealt with in an increasingly appropriate way.
In humankind in particular, memory has assumed a fundamental value both in the dissemination of language and in the development of culture.
The basis of memory is first and foremost learning, the ability to acquire new information from the outside world. This information, stored in particular brain areas, can be retrieved and used.
The three different moments underlying mnemonic processes are:
1 – the acquisition of new information or experiences from the outside world;
2 – the consolidation and preservation of information;
3 – the recall and use of archived information.
One of the most important aspects of memory is the consolidation of acquired information, which takes place through formation of new proteins, activation of genes, and changes in synapses and dendrites.

VARIOUS FORMS OF MEMORY
Based on how long information is stored in brain structures, two different forms of memory can be distinguished:
1 – short-term memory
2 – long-term memory
In short-term memory, information is retained only for a short period of time, seconds or minutes; in long-term memory, information is also available for long intervals of time, even years.

SHORT-TERM MEMORY

Short-term memory is the ability to retain and recall a memory acquired shortly before for only a very short time interval (thirty seconds to two minutes). Within short-term memory, there is what is known as immediate memory or working memory, which allows information to be stored and used only to implement a particular task.

LONG-TERM MEMORY

It is the process of learning that is completed with the preservation and subsequent consolidation of the acquired information. This process can occur actively with the individual’s personal commitment, but also without direct participation. It is also worth noting the distinction of long-term memory into implicit and explicit.
Implicit memory, also called procedural memory, is that related to the performance of activities, such as swimming, riding a bicycle or playing a musical instrument. It is closely related to training and is recalled to mind unconsciously. Explicit memory, also called declarative memory, is related to events, people, situations, places or objects. It is called to mind consciously and always needs awareness. It is the memory of spoken language or related to previous experiences. Forms of explicit memory are:
episodic or autobiographical memory, which is about personal experiences or events in one’s life;
semantic memory, which refers to notions, concepts or general cultural knowledge. However, not all memories are stored. Proper memorization requires a selection of information, which is based both on the subject’s interest in a particular topic or event and on his or her ability to pay attention and concentrate. Long-term memory, as opposed to short-term memory, involves a whole series of changes to neurons, synapses and dendrites. Processes of neurogenesis, with formations of new neurons, are probably also involved in a particular encephalic structure called the hippocampus, which, contrary to common belief, continues to produce new neurons throughout life.

Are there supplements that improve memory and school performance in the child?

An interesting study recently published in the prestigious journal Nature points out how, to “build and maintain a complex brain,” our ancestors used nutrients found primarily in meat: iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and fatty acids. This is at the expense of plant-based foods that, while containing them, are still less rich in them. A diet low in meat, therefore, would expose one to risks of deficiencies in nutrients that are essential for the proper functioning of the central nervous system; on the other hand, it is now known that an excess of animal products has negative aspects, as it can promote serious chronic-degenerative diseases, such as cancer or cardiovascular disease, for example. Therefore, there must be a delicate balance in nutrition as well, and this is especially true in the very early stages of life, especially in the period between conception and the age of 2 years.

The most important nutrients

Two nutrients deserve special attention, precisely because they are strongly involved in brain development and, therefore, indirectly in memory as well: long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) and iron.
LC-PUFAs regulate the fluidity and enzymatic activities of cell membranes. Among them, the effect of DHA is especially noticeable during the delicate period when the nervous system of the fetus and infant/infant is formed: it preferentially accumulates in the frontal cortex and retina, thus assuming a key role in the structural development of the brain. It has been reported that infants fed formula containing DHA have better eye and motor coordination, greater concentration and higher scores on intellectual tests, and better logic skills. DHA and in general and LC-PUFAs are therefore considered essential nutrients for the development and maintenance of memory during all stages of life.

Iron is the second essential micronutrient: in addition to being critical for oxygen transport to peripheral tissues, it is involved in the production of myelin (the sheath that surrounds nerve fibers) and the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin. Several studies report that its deficiency has negative effects on memory, learning, and social interactions. The periods most at risk are those of intense growth of the body, thus pregnancy and fetal development, childhood and adolescence. The effects are reduced spatial memory in adolescence, reduced attention, and worse cognitive performance, manifested by lower school performance, poor test performance, and increased irritability and restlessness.

Sleep and Memory: Memory in the depth of sleep

The brain, even when we sleep, works. Various research now agrees in assigning the sleeping brain a central role in memory fixation and thus in learning. The demonstration of this apparent paradox comes from research
on the “nap”: volunteers tested for mnemonic retrieval of a list of words learned, whether, between learning
of the list and recovery, they had interjected a nap of about ninety minutes, remembered more words than those who had not slept. This phenomenon has even been found in very young children, as shown by a group of psychologists from Germany’s Ruhr University, who recently published in PNAS a study conducted on children between 6 and 12 months of age. Children’s brains at this age have already developed a strong imitative capacity. The researchers used this skill to test whether napping could improve memorization of simple actions with objects. Children who had slept more than half an hour, after ‘exposure to object manipulation, were more capable, in reproducing these actions, than those who had slept less than half an hour.
The most surprising data, however, come from studies of adults. In fact, the paradox is that memory consolidation, a purely cognitive and therefore demanding activity, occurs when we are in the depths of deep sleep, when the brain machine is at its lowest oxygen consumption, blood flow is slow and the electroencephalogram shows large, slow and very slow waves.It is known that during sleep, our brain activity is highly variable: cycles alternate, of about an hour and a half each, containing phases dominated by slow and very slow electric waves and instead phases characterized by mixed, fast-dominated waves. The latter is called the REM (Rapid Eye Movement ) phase because fast waves are accompanied by rapid eye movements. At this stage we have very detailed and consistent dreams , which have an easier time being remembered. At the electroencephalus gramma, the brain shows a profile very similar to that of wakefulness. Therefore, for a long time REM phase was thought to be the one most related to nighttime cognitive activity. Instead, it is now clear that it is the slow and ultralow wave phase, called Slow Wave Sleep, which is part of the broader Non -REM phase, that is implicated in nighttime memorization. Bjorn Rasch and Jan Born, neuroscientists at the University of Zurich, in an extensive review in Physiological Review, document that exposure to an odor, during a cognitive learning task, prompts memory consolidation only if the same people are re-exposed to the same odor while in the deep sleep stage and not REM sleep. But what are the hypothesized brain mechanisms?
Fixation of a memory is a process that requires the cooperation of two brain areas: the cortex and the hippocampus. The former fixes attention on the object to be memorized, frames it, gives it a code and then transfers this initial encoding to the hippocampus, which will consolidate the trace and then transfer it back to the cortex, where it can be integrated into the various drawers of our memory and remain available for further recall. In this dialogue, the two areas go at different speeds: the cortex is characterized by fast waves and theta waves, which are relatively slow waves, have a rhythm (4 -8 Herz) but are more than twice as fast as the slow waves, the deltas (1-4 Herz), which instead dominate the hippocampus and the deep phase of sleep. During wakefulness then, the first phase of memorization would occur in the sign of theta waves, while during deep sleep, the hippocampus would consolidate the memory with slow and ultralow activity (less than 1 Herz).

What evidence do we have for this explanation? The application of a transcranial current (absolutely painless operation) with delta frequency, on the area of the head that corresponds to the prefrontal cortex during the first stage of sleep, increases the memory of an exercise done before sleep. If a theta frequency is administered instead, the memory is suppressed. But conversely, if a theta frequency is administered during wakefulness, when one is engaged in learning, memory is improved. Further evidence came on March 15 when a group of Austrian neuroscientists hadimproved in the Journal of Cognitive Neurosciencethat theta activity during learning is directly related to the ability to remember after a night’s sleep. In essence, say the researchers,during slow-wave sleep, the hippocampus selects memories to save and those to throw away and does so by following a label that has been affixed to them during wakefulness, the theta label. Finally, there is another type of

Sleep and Memory

And that is the immune one. Volunteers who received a single dose of hepatitis A vaccine, if they did not sleep the night after the vaccine, the antibody level (indicating vaccination efficiency), checked after four weeks, is much lower than that of their colleagues who slept .

The arms and legs of memory

It is well known that we Italians are good communicators and use gestures a lot to emphasize or complete a message. This characteristic, which might appear to be a simple trait of the Latin costume, more expansive and physical than that of the global north, now acquires a new dimension in the light of cognitive neuroscience. In fact, gestures, in addition to playing a communicative role, also play a role in ‘cognitive processing and memory. We have a body of evidence showing that, when recalling an event, gesticulation can promote recall of details better than when gesticulation is interdicted. In addition, gesticulation, prior to recall of previously learned words, helps recall performance. Other studies have documented an effect of gesticulation on working memory. This renewed interest on the relationship between body, cognition and memory has important clinical basis. Indeed, it has long been known that neurological and psychiatric disorders often go hand in hand with motor impairments and, conversely, that motor disorders go hand in hand with psychiatric impairments.
A typical feature of depression is impaired memory and motor slowing, just as motor impairments are common in psychotic and anxiety disorders. Conversely, Parkinson’s, which is the typical disease of the basal ganglia motor system, frequently presents with depressive disorders and/or worsening of cognitive performance and memory. Finally, it is well established by numerous controlled clinical trials that structured exercise has positive effects on major depression and anxiety disorders, dementia, and other neurodegenerative disorders. A recent randomized controlled trial published in Neurology by an interdisciplinary group at the University of Iowa documented that aerobic activity improves not only fitness, motor function, and fatigue, but also mood, cognition, and memory in people with Parkinson’s disease. Extensive animal and human research has documented that physical activity induces the release in the brain of three neurotransmitters critical for memory, such as dopamine, serot onin, and norepinephrine . At the same time, cannabinoids and brain growth and plasticity factors (IGF-1) put into the circulatory stream by muscle contraction reach the brain. One finding established by human research is the physical activity-induced increase in Brain-Derived Nerve Factor (BDNF), an increase that corresponds to improved memory retrieval capacity.
by Francesco Bottaccioli

Exercise helps improve memory

Doing physical activity, whether it is a simple workout or a real sport, certainly brings many health benefits to our bodies. However, in addition to the already mentioned positive effects on the heart, weight control, joints, bones, muscles and stress control, practicing regular physical activity also brings countless benefits to our memory. The memory area affected specifically is the“high interference” memory, which is the one that allows us to distinguish, for example, our car from another of the same model and make.

The study

This was stated in a study from McMaster University, Canada, published in Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. According to scientists, practicing regular physical activity (lasting at least 6 weeks with training sessions of 20 minutes each) results in significant improvements for high-interference memory. In addition to this, however, according to the results of research put in place, subjects who maintain good physical fitness record an increase in brain neurotrophic factor, a protein that supports brain cell growth, function, and survival.

The research took place by examining 95 healthy individuals who were on a different program for 6 weeks. Some underwent regular and controlled physical activity, others in addition to sports also undertook brain training, and still others remained sedentary, avoiding any kind of sports or exercise. The results showed that in subjects who engaged in physical activity, whether accompanied or not by brain training, there was a significant improvement in high-interference memory performance, which did not happen at all in subjects who maintained a predominantly sedentary lifestyle. At this point the research will focus mainly on subjects in the elderly because, as research author Jennifer Heisz says, “One hypothesis is that more benefits will be observed on them, as this type of memory decreases with age.”

This research adds another piece to the long list of good reasons for deciding to engage in any kind of physical activity. In fact, as we have seen, in addition to benefiting our bodies, lowering our stress levels and preventing many of the most dangerous human diseases, sports are also a valuable ally for the well-being of our brains, especially our memory.

A sedentary lifestyle negatively affects memory

Sedentary Lifestyle: It is known that an excessively sedentary lifestyle is strongly detrimental to the health and well-being of our bodies. Spending too many hours a day sitting in a chair behind a desk (as in the case of office or study work) or, even worse, spending entire days on the couch watching TV (perhaps accompanied by unhealthy snacks) Are habits that strongly and negatively affect our health. Among the most prevalent risks are definitely problems related to the health of our heart, which is more prone to dangerous diseases in overly “armchair-loving” individuals. But the list is long, and in addition to the aforementioned cardiovascular problems, it also includes diabetes and the possibility of premature death more generally.

As if that were not enough, according to a recent study, an overly sedentary lifestyle would also have negative effects on our brains, particularly on the section that handles memory.

The study

According to a study conducted by researchers at theUniversity of California, Los Angeles, involving about 35 people between the ages of 45 and 75, a sedentary lifestyle would lead to significant changes in the area of the brain that is critical for memory. All research participants first underwent a cognitive test to find out their daily habits and routines, with specific questions about their (possible) physical activity and the average number of hours spent sitting during the day. The questions were more concerned with the period including the week before the test.

After the test, all participants underwent a high-resolution MRI to get a clear look at the medial temporal lobe, the portion of the brain that is actively involved in the formation of new memories. From the examinations, it could be seen that a very sedentary lifestyle leads to thinning of the medial temporal section of the brain. Such a situation can lead to the decline of an individual’s cognitive abilities and the onset of dementia as the years progress.

How to remedy

The study also brought out that physical activity alone is not enough to improve this condition and protect our brain health. Therefore, it is necessary to change one’s habits and lifestyle. One should avoid spending too many consecutive hours of the day sitting in a chair, but it would be advisable, from time to time during the course of the day, to take short walks, even of a few dozen minutes (just think that to make up for an entire day spent in a chair one needs to take at least an hour of walking). Those most at risk are those who perform office work, but again, you should take advantage of any time of day when you have a few minutes off to do small physical exercises to stretch your arms and legs. It is also helpful to attend events that promote a healthy lifestyle to learn useful tips on how to move without disrupting one’s usual routine.

Is memory faltering? These are the most frequent causes

Decline mild cognitive, Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are so widespread and feared that, by now, when it comes to memory disorders it is immediately led to think of these pathologies, especially when to be affected by them. Interested is a person over 50 years old. In fact, the problems of the memory may also depend on many other factors and be, not only less severe, but also transient and reversible, if recognized and addressed in the right way. The most common and easily modified are sleep insufficient, unbalanced diet, smoking and stress. Click here, to learn about all the enemies of memory And learn how to counteract them.

Memory and aging: when to worry

As early as 55-60 years of age, one may begin to experience some memory drawbacks. Concentrating, retaining information, and remembering names, times, and appointments can take a little extra effort, and it may become necessary to mark commitments in the diary (especially if there are many of them) or to prepare lists of the day’s shopping or activities to make sure you don’t forget anything or make a mistake. As long as the situation remains manageable and you have the peace of mind that you have everything pretty much under control, there is no reason to worry. However, when memory deficits begin to be a bit more prominent and interfere with daily life, it is a good idea to seek medical attention for further investigation. Here are
the signs you need to pay more attention to
.

Can a pill protect your memory?

“Improves memory” sharpens ability to focus”

These are just some of the claims you may read about the supplements that 25 percent of adults over age 50 take to keep their brain capacities efficient. But do these products work ?

It is not often clear since the FDA does not require manufacturers d prove its efficacy, nor are statements about efficacy against specific diseases required.

Here’s what experts know or don’t know about these widespread and popular products.

Memory in the work environment

The memorization process is the basis of the mind’s functionality; in fact, collecting data, sorting and associating them with each other, and then picking them up again at the right time are fundamental actions for maintaining good professional effectiveness. Training memory requires knowledge and appreciation of the main processes by which the mind works.

Memory is of limited value insofar as it serves as a support for all mental processes. This means that the information in our memory becomes increasingly important in relation to how and when it is retrieved and used. Stress interferes with memorization processes, impairing the ability to pay attention and concentrate. Through the use of current technologies, storage processes are evolving; in fact, most information today can be found in external memory.

Source: I don’t have time for… How it wears out care: health workers under stress by Ferdinando Pellegrino

If parents smoke, children will be more likely to have poor cognitive function in middle age

The Study Center of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine of the Finnish University of Torku conducted a study, showing that in mature subjects (between 34 and 49 years old) the learning capacity and memory suffer from parental secondhand smoke exposure that occurred during childhood and adolescence.

We were already aware of the harmful effect of active smoking and secondhand smoke on cognitive abilities. This study, at a time when, among other things, the aging of the population, with the consequent issues related to cognitive and memory deficits, acquires an increasingly central dimension, provides interesting correlations between the deficits of adulthood and exposure to secondhand smoke in childhood.

The cognitive performance, in fact, of the more than 2,000 research participants showed that subjects whose parents had not smoked in their presence performed better than those whose parents had been exposed to secondhand smoke at a developmental stage. And this is regardless of the subjects’ active smoking during adolescence or adulthood. The difference in performance was equivalent to the difference given by aging for five years.

Prevention from secondhand smoke therefore not only aims to protect children and adolescents from the harms of smoking itself and function as a deterrent to future lifestyles that may contemplate smoking, but also serves to promote and safeguard brain health in adulthood.

NUTRITION AND DIET
 
NATURE, SPORTS, PLACES
 
CULTIVATING HEALTH
 
MENOPAUSE
 
MOM IN SHAPE
 
TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE
 
HEART SURGERY
 
MEDICINES AND MEDICAL DEVICES
 
PARENTING
 
THE CULTURE OF HEALTH
 
HEALTH UTILITIES
 
GENERAL MEDICINE
 
NATURAL MEDICINE, THERMAL
 
MIND AND BRAIN
 
NEUROVEGETATIVE DYSTONIA
 
WAYS OF BEING
 
HEALTH AND SOCIETY
 
HEALTHCARE AND PATIENTS
 
SEXUALITY
 
OLDER AGE
 
CANCERS
 
EMERGENCIES
 
NUTRITION AND DIET
 
NATURE, SPORTS, PLACES
 
CULTIVATING HEALTH
 
MENOPAUSE
 
MOM IN SHAPE
 
TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE
 
HEART SURGERY
 
MEDICINES AND MEDICAL DEVICES
 
PARENTING
 
THE CULTURE OF HEALTH
 
HEALTH UTILITIES
 
GENERAL MEDICINE
 
NATURAL MEDICINE, THERMAL
 
MIND AND BRAIN
 
NEUROVEGETATIVE DYSTONIA
 
WAYS OF BEING
 
HEALTH AND SOCIETY
 
HEALTHCARE AND PATIENTS
 
SEXUALITY
 
OLDER AGE
 
CANCERS
 
EMERGENCIES
 
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
 
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
 
UROGENITAL SYSTEM
 
HEART AND CIRCULATION
 
SKIN
 
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
 
EYES
 
EARS, NOSE, AND THROAT
 
BONES AND LIGAMENTS
 
ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
 
NERVOUS SYSTEM
 
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
 
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
 
UROGENITAL SYSTEM
 
HEART AND CIRCULATION
 
SKIN
 
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
 
EYES
 
EARS, NOSE, AND THROAT
 
BONES AND LIGAMENTS
 
ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
 
NERVOUS SYSTEM
 

your advertising
exclusively ON
MY SPECIAL DOCTOR

complete the form and you will be contacted by one of our managers