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How to Deal With an Aging Brain?
An anonymous reader writes "I'm sure this is something all older Slashdotters are aware of: as I get older my once-sharp brain is, well, getting worse. In particular, I'm not able to remember things as well as I once did. As a geek my capacity in this area was always what defined me as a geek. Nowadays things seem to go in OK, but then leak out. A few weeks later I've mostly forgotten. So, I ask Slashdot: how do you cope with your mind getting older? What's your trick? Fish-oil? Brain Training on the DS? Exercise? Or just trying harder to remember things?"
I had an elective castration, and am on testosterone replacement after I found myself not remembering as well as I did before. Really helped in that area. Check your levels to see if they warrant some replacement.
One of my solutions to the problem is a good set of vitamins. I tend to shy away from stuff like Centrum, and use multi-vitamin packs with a little more "kick" to them (and are a heck of a lot more soluable in the digestive system), and B12 sublingual drops.
If I have to ask myself the question "how long was it since I took my vitamins?" then the answer is probably about three days - that's how long it take for them to wear off on me.
As with a lot of processes in our bodies, good nutritian helps the brain considerably. Eat right, exersize, and take a good multi vitamin, and you'll probably see a lot of the memory issues go away. It works for me anyway - as with any random commenter on /., YMMV :-)
Davis Ray Sickmon, Jr - looking for something to read? Check out my three free novels at MidnightRyder.org
This recent Slashdot thread (and the accomplishing article) discussed the effectiveness of brain training games.
In that thread, I pointed to Brain Workshop, an open source version of the game used in this study by Susanne Jaeggi, a psychologist at the University of Michigan. The study deals with improving "fluid intelligence" - the part of your mind that deals directly with the raw newness of experience or, as defined by Jaeggi, "the ability to reason and to solve new problems independently of previously acquired knowledge."
Others pointed out there's also a Javascipt version that's much more light-weight.
Lay off the alcohol and get more exercise. You'll notice a great change in about 2-3 days (of not drinking, exercise takes a little longer to kick in)
At least that what I read somewhere (can't remember where though ;-)
In terms of dealing with a failing memory, my solution is to write a lot of stuff down. I carry a pocket PC with all my notes in it -- very helpful.
The more you regulate a company, the worse its products become.
A major contributer to memory loss is the stress of worrying about it. Expect it to work when needed, and it's more likely to do so.
That being said, do a crossword puzzle every day. Take DHA (from an algal source NOT fish oil). Eat brewer's yeast; it has every B vitamin known, plus lots of DNA and RNA. Eat eggs (choline), and beets (they provide a chemical group that the rest of your body will use and leave the choline for making acetylcholine.)
Exercise your brain - it really does respond just like muscle tissue does; it will grow and become more vigorous.
Don't take large doses of B vitamins, just take some. Your food will provide a variable amount on top of the minimum, and that variation will enhance your brain's use of what's available.
Most of all; if you expect some function to fail, you will stop using it so much, it will atrophy from lack of use, and you'll have a self-fulfilling prophesy. Just as you expect to get better at what you do with practice, expect your body's cells to get better at what they do with practice. They will, if you let them.
On the one hand you take life too seriously, and on the other, you do not take playful existence seriously enough. Seth
I just read a PhysOrg article today about how certain compounds in red wine seem to retard the onset of Alzheimer's, among other things. Check it out.
Actually, there is an entire class of racetams that can be used and each of them act a little different. Piracetam is considered the weakest of them all, and Pramiracetam is considered the strongest. I use Aniracetam and find that it helps quite a bit. When you stack them (Piracetam + Aniracetam) they work synergistically and you get an even stronger effect. Because they tend to use up your brains acetylcholine faster, people usually have to take a choline supplement with them a few times a week. The best form that I've found is alpha-GPC. It is the most bioavailable of choline supplements. The best part about these is that there are no side effects, even at high doses. Wiki - Racetam Class
Do what I do. Up your caffeine dose eeeevvverry yyyeeaaarrr...........
Since I crossed the GEEZER boundry a few years ago (or so), I found that a proper diet is not to fry or nuke your brain to often ( 2 beers not 37, a couple tokes not 14 bowls) works well for keeping an edge. Exercise consists of occasional arguments with my x-wifes and moving to a strange place every 4-5 years. the best move is to a place where you dont know anyone or the language.
Proudly Butchering code for 20 years
http://sharpbrains.wordpress.com/2007/01/17/cbs-newstime-series-on-brain-neuroplasticity-and-memory-exercises/
Exercise is one of the most important stuff for neuroplasticity !
I'm using a similar piece of software to learn German. Anki is actively worked on and regularly updated by the author. You can even write your own plug-ins for it in Python, I believe.
It is a tell-tale sign of stress when people suddenly start becoming forgetful.
So I would advise you to deal with your stress, and your former good memory will come back. You know: exercise, sleep, lots of fresh air, proper, healthy nutrition, and yes that includes lost of fish. Decide for yourself that life is short and living is now.
I only bothered to read the link for D, but that page clearly states that you have to be over 50 for D absorption to be impaired. It also lists side effects for taking too much vitamin D.
I think the message here should be go see your doctor. Don't go taking nutritional supplements based off what you read on teh intarwebs, otherwise you could end up increasing your risk of disease. I know there are lots of other supplements that are actually quite poisonous taken in the doses available in some supplements if you're not suffering from a nutrition disorder.
Nick
I haven't seen anyone mention sleep.
That's when your synaptic pathways are reinforced and new ideas are integrated into memory.
Our brains are as active when we are asleep as awake, just accomplishing a different process.
If you want to know something for a test, don't cram all night before, simply sleep on it.
If you can't figure out the solution to a dilemma, you might after a good night's sleep.
Finally, if you are well rested, you will be content enough to not mind that you can't remember what you did at work yesterday... ...what? Yesterday was Saturday? Did I sleep through it again?