Stretch Your Brain!

By Gloria Troyer

Being able to remember things is something most of us take for granted. We may get frustrated once in a while when we misplace our keys or forget to return a phone call, but in general we are confident about relying on our memory.

That changed for me after I developed a chronic illness in 2000. My memory was severely affected. Before, I had been able to recall all sorts of facts (I worked as an archivist/library associate). Now, I can recall memories from years ago, but have difficulties with short-term memory.

For example, a few years ago, I went to the mall with my caseworker from the acquired brain injury (ABI) clinic. She asked me to make a mental note of a “marker” so that I would be able to find the car later. I didn’t know that she intended to deliberately “lose” me.

At the designated time, I left the mall, assuming she would be waiting in the parking lot. However, I couldn’t see the marker I had chosen, let alone the car. I tried to remember details. What colour was the car — perhaps purple? I also didn’t know its make. Feeling anxious, I almost stepped off the sidewalk and into traffic, intending to search the parking lot, when my caseworker grabbed my arm. We had a good chuckle when I told her that my marker was a delivery truck that had been parked in front of one of the department stores. That was the moment I realized that I needed to work on my memory skills.

Memory problems aren’t unique to people with ABI, of course. Many memory problems are temporary and can fluctuate from day to day due to factors such as lack of sleep, stress, side effects of medications, a poor emotional state or depression. There are also medical conditions that affect the ability to recall information. People with multiple sclerosis may have difficulty remembering things, and so might people with lupus, Parkinson’s disease and atherosclerosis.

A lot of people believe that memory loss is a normal part of aging. Geriatrician Dr. Sheri-Lynn Kane at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Guelph, Ont., disagrees. She says that this is an “ageism,” or a misperception about the aging process. “It is just not true.”

Instead, she points out, the Canadian Study on Health and Aging (1991), which involved over 10,000 adults over the age of 65, showed that the overall incidence of dementia is just eight percent. Contrary to what most people would expect, 66 percent of seniors aged 85 to 94 do not experience dementia.

One of Kane’s pet peeves is the term “senior moment.” “It is often a sentiment used by spouses or friends to downplay the memory loss of someone close, often saying, ‘Well, that happens to me too.’ The trouble with this comment is that it is too simplistic and often frustrating for the person who is experiencing the memory loss.” Rather than assuming memory loss is related to aging, says Dr. Kane, a doctor must consider a patient’s personal history when determining if dementia or Alzheimer’s disease is a possibility. “A decline of intelligence and abilities, including memory disabilities, needs to be further examined if the decline is interfering socially or with day-to-day activity.”

THE MEMORY MAZE

After the incident at the mall, I decided to learn more about memory and find ways around forgetting. What I learned is fascinating for anyone, but especially relevant for people with brain injury and other conditions that affect memory.

“Memory is a complex brain function, and scientists are just beginning to understand what other factors influence memory and learning,” says Dr. Jane Gillett, a neurologist and medical director of the provincial acquired brain injury program at McMaster University’s Chedoke Campus in Hamilton, Ontario. “Not everyone with a brain injury experiences memory loss, although the vast majority will have some loss,” she explains. “The usual loss of memory is in short-term memory — the person can remember things from his or her past, but has trouble laying down new memories and learning new information.”

This is one of the reasons why children and youth with a brain injury may have trouble learning new things when they return to school. Another example, says Dr. Gillett, are adults with a brain injury who may do well going back to their old job, but might not be able to learn new components of that job or be able to transfer to another department.

People may have problems retrieving memories – they can retain memories, but can’t get at them when they need them. Sometimes, the reason people can’t access memories is because they didn’t make the memories in the first place.

Many people with a brain injury have problems with decreased attention span and increased distractability, says Dr. Kane, so that they don’t attend to new material well enough or long enough for it to enter the “memory pathway” to create a memory of it. The upside is that if a person’s attention span improves, his or her memory may improve as well.

CHALLENGING YOUR BRAIN

The good news is that with some effort and patience, most of us can maintain or even improve our memory as we age. The theory is that learning new skills and challenging our minds forges new pathways in the brain — keeping our memory sharper.

There are many free or inexpensive tools available, and a lot of them are fun. I have a friend in his 80s who plays Sudoku, the popular logic-based number game. It is a great brain exercise, and he picks up a new book of puzzles at the cash register every time he buys his groceries.

Brain-teaser cards, logic puzzles and thinking games (available in the toy section of department stores, at specialty games stores and online) are another way to improve memory and cognitive function. Jigsaw puzzles are an inexpensive method to keep the brain active. Libraries, community centres and seniors’ centres often have lending libraries for games and puzzles. If you want to learn a new skill or language, check for workshops and courses in your community.

There are also computer games that boost brainpower. For example, Nintendo’s handheld DS system features a game called Brain Age, which offers a mental workout through activities such as math problems and reciting songs.

I find that knitting helps me. It exercises both sides of my brain and forces me to focus on what I’m doing. It’s relaxing and requires very little concentration to make a basic scarf.

One of my doctors gave me a great piece of advice: “Get outside of yourself and volunteer somewhere.” Instead of feeling sorry for myself or cynical about my situation, I help out at an elementary school. I cannot express the joy I feel at the school each week. It evokes many memories regarding my own children as well as my school days. The tasks I do help me stay focused, as I’m extremely careful not to make errors when counting pizza money or marking papers. It also feels good to know that I can make a contribution.

For home, I bought a string with clips on it and hung it up on my dining-room wall with old photos. I change the pictures every month. My adult children love it. When they come home, it stirs up memories for them, which then helps me remember things.

I also recommend that you write your own memoir or create a scrapbook of your life story. Having worked as a history archivist for 20 years, cataloguing other people’s lives, I know how rewarding this can be. Your friends and family will appreciate it. You’ll also find that creating this keepsake will open up “memory doors” in your mind that you thought were closed forever.

Gloria Troyer is a freelance writer who lives in Guelph, Ontario, with her husband and two senior cats. She wrote an article about gardening for the Summer 2007 issue of Abilities.