Memory and Ageing - Normal and Pathological Memory Loss - Research Paper Example

? Memory and Ageing: Normal and Pathological Memory Loss Memory and Ageing: Normal and Pathological Memory Loss Introduction Today most people experience some or other form of memory loss even though they are not aware of it. Alzheimer’s disease is a major cause of memory loss in elderly people, and this has notably increased across the globe, particularly in America over the last few decades. According to the data released by the Alzheimer’s Association, today one American is affected by Alzheimer’s disease in every 68 seconds. In addition, people aged 65 and above with this disease are estimated to reach 13.8 million by 2050. Evidently, unhealthy modern lifestyle habits significantly contribute to memory loss. There are normal memory loss (age-related memory loss) and pathological memory loss. This paper will particularly discuss memory and ageing with particular reference given to normal and pathological memory loss. Memory and Ageing Many people are worried about the issue of memory loss as they get older. The fact that memory loss is one of the major identified symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease adds to the intensity of the issue. Once an individual gets older, some significant changes occur in the way one’s brain works and remembers things. In addition, decline in mental powers is very common in old people and this situation also increases the risk of dementia. However, it may not necessarily occur in all individuals; and a significant percent of people reach their 80s or 90s without getting any significant damage to their memory. As Macnair (2010) reports (BBC Health), generally an individual has three different memories including working memory, short term memory, and long term memory. An individual’s working memory stores only very recent things like what he ate for breakfast. The short term memory stores things such as a future event date the individual has just checked. Finally, the long term memory stores events from the childhood of the individual. In a normal memory loss, the individual first loses his working memory and which is followed by the short term and long term memory loss. When an individual gets aged, his brain becomes less efficient at storing and recalling memories. The major reason for this issue is that the communication between different areas of the brain becomes poor due to the impairment of brain cells. In addition, a number of pathological reasons also contribute to memory loss. Proper vigilance is necessary to differentiate between the symptoms of normal memory loss and pathological memory loss. Normal Memory Loss Overview Normal memory loss or age-related memory loss indicates a mental condition where an individual fails to recall new pieces of information. A victim of normal memory loss may fail to recall the name of a person he met past week for the first time. It must be noted that normal memory loss is not an inevitable part of the aging process and it happens due to declining brain cells once the individual gets older. Since there are pathological reasons to lose memory, it is difficult for common people to distinguish between normal and abnormal memory loss. The normal memory loss is a less severe mental condition as compared to the Alzheimer’s disease. Although an individual suffering from age-related memory loss may often forget part of an event, he can recall the part later. In fact, age-related slowness of mental processes does not indicate memory loss but it only represents some physiological changes in the brain functions. The individuals can recall all the memories they needed, if they take enough time. The memory power can be simply referred an individual’s muscle strength. If the individual does not use or try to maintain his muscle strength for a longer time, he will probably lose it. Similarly, people’s lifestyle, health habits, and daily activities can have a great influence on the health of their brain. “Studies have shown that people who exercise, stay mentally active, socialize regularly, and eat a healthy diet can minimize memory loss” (Fischer, 2012). Signs of Normal Memory Loss There are many signs of normal memory loss. Simple forgetfulness is one of the key signs of normal memory loss. For instance, the affected person may forget the keys. In addition, people may express difficulties in remembering street names, people’s names, or events. Forgetting an appointment occasionally can be the sign of this issue. It is identified that individuals affected by normal memory loss may have confusions in remembering the day of the week while they are on vacation. In the view of Pence and Gilstrap (2012), getting lost in new circumstances or occasionally has been identified as a major sign of normal memory loss. Physicians indicate that vision troubles or spatial issues that can be managed with glasses or cataract surgery are some notable signs of this problem. When an elderly individual struggles to remember a word which is on his tongue’s tip, it can be probably a sign of normal memory loss (Pence & Gilstrap, 2012). It is observed that people affected by age-related memory loss lose things occasionally. Pence and Gilstrap (2012) identify that anxiety in normally stressful life situations or temporary agitation is another major symptom of normal memory loss; and making a regretful decision frequently is also a sign of this age-related issue. As long as such problems do not have significant effect on the individual’s life, they can be considered as the characteristics of the aging process. Factors Influencing Normal Memory Loss There are a number of factors influencing the normal memory loss. The major factors include age, hormones, sleep, and stress. By the age of 20, an individual begins to lose his brain cells. At the same time, his body will begin to decline its production of different chemicals which are essential for the remaining brain cells to function properly. Undoubtedly, this condition will affect an individual’s memory as he gets older. Similarly, hormones can have significant effect on individuals’ memory. According to a study conducted by the McGill University, decreasing estrogen levels may notably impact people’s working memory. This is reason why menopause has a great influence on women’s behavior. More precisely, estrogen level in women’s body decreases during menopause. As a result, women experience forgetfulness more often or troubles with concentrating during menopause (PositScience, n.d.). Evidently, sleep is also a major factor influencing memory power. According to some recent studies, people will have a harder time storing and recalling new information if they do not obtain adequate sleep. It has identified that sleep plays a notable role in sharpening one’s memory. Studies indicate that sleep can have a notable impact on physical reaction, judgment, and fine motor skills which are closely linked to the brain. A study performed on a group of people who were sleep-deprived proved that they were more likely to believe that they were right when they were wrong actually (Huffington post, 2013). Physicians report that IT professionals and other business people who sleep a little are more prone to memory loss issues. Finally, stress is also a contributing factor to normal memory loss. According to a recent study, most of the people who think they are multitaskers are really not. “The people who multitask the most tend to be impulsive, sensation-seeking, overconfident of their multitasking abilities, and they tend to be less capable of multitasking” (Strayer as cited in Huffington post, 2013). Although individuals believe that multitasking makes them more effective, actually it contributes little to their productivity. In fact, individuals obtain only an emotional satisfaction from multitasking. Furthermore, multitasking not only leads to a decline in the quality of the tasks performed but also adds to the stress level of the individual. Multitasking can evidently result in memory loss. In case of stressful life situations, people’s brain starts reacting so as to manage the situation. During this time, brain secretes hormones like cortisol, which gives energy to limbs and the willpower to respond to the situation immediately. In such situations, hippocampus’ energy is robbed and hence there will be an increased possibility of creating new memories at that particular point of time. If the hippocampus is exposed to such an energy loss for a long period of time, the situation is more likely to end up in a short term memory loss. Although sometimes it is possible to repair the brain cells damaged by continuous stress, there is no way for the brain to reestablish its functions and to regain the memory lost if the brain damage caused by stress is too severe. It is observed that individuals working under extremely stressful conditions (eg: software engineers) are highly vulnerable to memory loss as they get older. Difference between normal memory loss and Alzheimer’s related memory loss 250 Many people misinterpret normal memory loss as Alzheimer’s disease due to lack of knowledge regarding these two conditions. There are some key differences to distinguish between these conditions. As discussed already, elderly people may forget things or part of events in cases of normal memory loss. However, they can regain all the memory lost or pieces of information they needed if they take enough time to recall it. However, individuals with Alzheimer’s disease can never regain the lost memory even though they take a long time to remember it. Another significant difference between normal memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease is the way old age people’s brain processes and follows instructions. If individuals are affected age-related memory loss, they can follow verbal or written instructions although they may be a bit slower than young people. However, it is very difficult for Alzheimer’s patients to follow and process directions in written or verbal form and they eventually fail to complete the tasks assigned. In terms of people’s ability to complete simple day to day tasks including bathing or dressing, it is possible to distinguish between victims of normal memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease. An individual with Alzheimer’s disease usually fails to complete such simple daily tasks whereas a person suffering from age-related memory loss may not have much trouble in completing those tasks. In cases of normal memory loss, people are able to use notes as a remainder while Alzheimer’s patients are unable to do such things. In addition, Alzheimer’s patients show symptom including dependency, difficulty learning new things, social withdrawal, apathy, and passivity (GeronGuide). Pathological Memory Loss or Dementia Overview Dementia or pathological memory loss or abnormal memory loss can be simply referred to a collection of symptoms caused by various disorders affecting the brain. Dementia is not a specific disease. As mentioned already, this condition affects individuals’ thinking abilities, behavior, and the ability to perform their daily tasks such as bathing and dressing. Evidently, dementia dreadfully affects the victim’s normal social or working life. Generally physicians diagnose dementia if the individual’s two or more cognitive functions are severely impaired. Pathological memory loss affects a number of cognitive functions including memory, judgment, attention, language skills, spatial skills, and the ability to understand information (What is Dementia?, n. d.). Evidences suggest that victims of dementia may struggle to solve problems or control their emotions. Those people are more likely to experience personality changes, delusions, agitation, or hallucinations. The exact symptoms of dementia cannot be predictable because they may vary depend on the areas of the brain damaged by the disease causing dementia. The first phase of pathological memory loss is often termed as Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). People should be suspicious of MCI if they experience a change in cognitive abilities so that they are unable to perform complex tasks of daily living, such as financial management (Memory Loss, n.d.). The different types of dementia lead to dysfunction of some of the nerve cells and they die eventually. Since dementia is progressive, the disease spreads to other parts of the brain and patient’s symptoms get worse over time. There are several types of dementia. Among these, Alzheimer’s disease, lewy body dementia, and vascular dementia may be get worsened over time (Mayo clinic staff, n. d.). Physicians opine that pathological memory loss or dementia may be caused by issues like stroke, brain tumor, brain surgery, or anterograde amnesia. Signs and Symptoms As dementia is not just a memory problem, this condition reduces victims’ ability to learn, reason, and remember past events or experiences. They may also experience difficulty in patterning thoughts, feelings, and activities. As this issue gets worsened, patients neglect themselves and are most likely to become disinhibited or incontinent. Some people affected by pathological memory loss may wander during day and night. According to Geddes, Gelder, and Mayou (2005), when life circumstances go beyond their control, people become frustrated and hence there may be immediate change to tears or anger (p.141). If the memory changes are affecting the daily life, it is better for individuals to check for dementia. Such problematic memory changes involve forgetting newly gained information or asking for the same instructions/ information repeatedly. Another notable symptom of abnormal memory loss is that individual may have difficulty in planning or solving problems. More clearly, victims may struggle to concentrate, follow instructions, or to solve simple math problems. As Crompton and Kotwicki (2007) point out, difficulty in completing familiar tasks is also a major sign of dementia. Due to this problem, individuals with dementia may forget rules of their favorite games or directions to familiar places such as homes or churches (p.111). It is identified that some patients fail to remember the days of the week or how they reached a particular location. Therefore, confusion with time and place can be considered as a symptom of dementia. People suffering from an abnormal memory loss struggle to understand visual images and spatial relationships. As a result, they cannot normally recognize contrasts in color. Dementia patients cannot maintain the flow of the conversation because they face problems with simple vocabularies. This problem may appear in writing too. Undoubtedly, this situation adversely affects individuals’ communication abilities and ultimately they fail to interact with the society. It is observed that dementia victims cannot retrace the sequence of events in its right format. Poor or low quality decision is one of the major identified symptoms of pathological memory loss. Usually, patients make poor decision regarding the financial deals. Due to these adverse memory changes, victims withdraw themselves from the mainstream of the society and like to live isolated. Hence, they stay away from sports, hobbies, or recreation that they had greatly enjoyed earlier. Change in mood and personality is another common symptom of dementia. Due to this problem, patients become increasingly suspicious, confused, moody, or easily upset. In short, any memory change that hurts the normal flow of the daily life can be considered as the symptom of pathological memory loss. Etiology While analyzing the etiology of the pathological memory loss, it seems that many medical conditions or diseases contribute to this issue. The major diseases/causative agents include Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, brain tumor, brain surgery, infections and immune disorders, and nutritional deficiencies. Alzheimer’s disease In fact, Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia. However, this disease also leads to dementia in the later stages. Alzheimer’s disease attacks nerve cells that are responsible for controlling thought, memory, and language and this situation evidently ends up in dementia. If this condition continues, more and more of the brain cells get destroyed and hence individuals lose their ability to recall, reason, and communicate. The Alzheimer’s disease passes though a pre-symptomatic phase before it leads to abnormal memory loss. Hence, it makes difficult for victims to identify the onset of the memory loss. Reports indicate that Alzheimer’s disease is the cause of over 60 percent cases of dementia diagnosed in individuals above the age of 70. Strokes Multi-infarct dementia, which is the most common form of vascular dementia, is caused by a sequence of small strokes. In general, vascular dementia (the most common type of dementia) is caused by strokes, silent strokes, and ministrokes. Earlier it was found that hardening brain arteries may possibly lead to dementia. Researchers show that stroke can harden brain arteries. Some other studies have proved that cumulative effects of multiple strokes on the brain have the potential to lead to dementia. According to some recent researches on this subject using some new imaging techniques, even single strokes (sometimes referred to as strategic strokes) may also cause dementia. In addition, ‘white matter disease’ a condition closely associated with stroke may also cause to develop dementia. Brain injury/brain surgery Although it is less likely to happen, the damage caused to brain cells by a brain tumor may be also a cause of dementia. It is clear that brain tumor destroys brain cells and hence the victim’ brain functions deteriorate. In the same way, a brain surgery may also result in dementia. According to Noble, Canoll, and Honig (2005), although the features of dementia caused by the brain tumor are common to other dementias, it has also some unusual attributes that make minimize the possibility of an early diagnosis. In this case, the onset of the memory loss is very rapid and is associated with headaches and gait and motor dysfunction. Some recent medical reports indicate that an individual undergoing a major surgery, like an abdominal surgery or heart bypass surgery, may develop dementia gradually. Other factors The side effects like fever caused as a result the of human body’s attempt to fight against an infection may result in dementia. Such infections commonly include meningitis, encephalitis, Lyme disease, and untreated syphilis. In addition, conditions such leukemia that contribute to a completely broken immune system may also cause dementia. Studies show that conditions like multiple sclerosis that have the potential to attack nerve cells can lead to pathological memory loss. Similarly, nutritional deficiencies represent another major cause of dementia. Dehydration and insufficiency of thiamin (Vitamin B-1) are some of the causative agents of the memory loss. In addition, deficiencies in vitamins B-6 and B-12 can also lead to this memory issue. Many medical practitioners argue that metabolic problems and endocrine abnormalities have the capacity to develop dementia. Pathological memory loss can also be caused as a result of reactions to medications, subdural hematomas, and other heart and lung problems. Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis Cognitive testing, laboratory tests, and imaging techniques are mainly used to diagnose dementia. Under cognitive testing that lasts 5-15 minutes, an individual’s cognitive status is screened with reasonable level of reliability. Currently, mini mental state examination (MMSE) is the most common method used for cognitive testing. Questionnaire method is also used for this purpose. As Maler, Jessen, Schneider & Golfgang (2010) point out, laboratory tests include vitamin B12 , C-reactive protein, electrolytes, folic acid, calcium, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (p.148). These laboratory tests are useful to identify dementia causing problems such as vitamin deficiency or infection. Under imaging method, CT scan or MRI scan is usually performed to identify the presence of dementia in individuals. No medications have been yet proved to be effective for preventing or curing dementia. Hence, medications are used only to address behavioral and cognitive abnormalities. Physicians opine that treatment of dementia can be only helpful to slow or minimize the development of symptoms. According to Scerri (2008), cholinesterase inhibitors including donepezil, galantamine hydrobromide, and rivastigmine can be effective for Alzheimer’s disease because these drugs improve the chemical messenger levels associated with memory and judgment. These drugs are used to treat some other forms of dementia too. Memantine is another drug used to treat dementia although it is primarily used for Alzheimer’s disease. This drug regulates the activity of glutamate, which is another chemical messenger associated with learning and memory. Some additional medications try to minimize the risk of further brain damage. Evidences suggest that victims of pathological memory loss are highly vulnerable to depression. During the later phases of the dementia, most of the victims will be increasingly frail. In addition, loss of mobility, weight loss, and problems with communication are other complications of this disease. How to Prevent Memory Loss? Mentally stimulating activities like crossword puzzles would assist people to keep their brain active and thereby prevent memory loss to a great extent. Taking alternative routes to go home, volunteering in a community organization, or learning to play musical instruments are some other techniques to remain mentally active. It is obvious that social interaction helps people reduce stress and depression; both of them are prime contributors to memory loss. People living isolated are more prone to memory loss. Therefore, it is advisable for individuals to use every opportunity to get together with their friends, relatives, and other loved ones. An individual is more likely to forget things if his home is untidy. Hence, it is better to keep everything organized. A person can avoid forgetting things if he jots down appointments, special events, and other important tasks in a notebook or electronic device. In addition, individual must find a fixed place for their wallet, keys, and other important things. It is also recommendable for individuals to avoid multitasking or not to do too many things at once. In other words, the individual must focus only on the task he is trying to complete. It is also helpful for individuals to link what they are trying to remember to a favorite movie or another familiar event. A healthy diet containing low-fat protein sources is extremely good for an individual’s heart as well as brain. In addition, people must try to include whole grains, fruits, and vegetable in their diet. Undoubtedly, physical fitness is greatly connected to mental health. Regular physical activities can help people increase blood flow to their whole body including brain. Finally, people have to give particular focus to managing their chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and other heart diseases. Conclusion From the above discussion, it is clear that today memory loss is growing to be a potential mental health issue. As an individual gets older, his brain cells get weakened or damaged and this situation interrupts communication between the brain-cells that stimulate memory. When normal memory loss does not affect day to day activities of people much, pathological memory loss or dementia can dreadfully impact an individual’s normal life. In case of normal memory loss, the patient fails to recall new pieces of information. Simple forgetfulness such as forgetting keys is one of the major symptoms of this condition. The main factors influencing normal memory loss are age, hormones, sleep, and stress. There are some notable differences between normal memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease. The major difference is that people with age-related memory loss can regain the lost memory if they take enough time whereas it is not possible in the case of Alzheimer’s disease. The major problems/disease contribute to dementia include Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, brain tumor, brain surgery, nutritional deficiency, and other heart diseases. There are no medications that offer a complete cure for dementia. By following a healthy lifestyle pattern, an individual can significantly reduce his risk of memory loss. References Crompton, M. T & Kotwicki, R. J. (2007). Responding to Individuals with Mental Illness. Jones & Bartlett Learning. Day, R., Paul, P & Williams, B. (2009). Brunner and Suddarth's Textbook of Canadian Medical-Surgical Nursing. US: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Fischer, M. A. (2012). 6 Types of Normal Memory Lapses. AARP. Retrieved from http://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-08-2012/memory-lapses-that-are-normal.html GeronGuide. (n.d.). The Surprising Truth: What is Normal Memory Loss Versus Alzheimer's Disease? 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