YOUR MEMORY—PAST & FUTURE
As I grow older, I’m experiencing more and more memory “lapses.” Sometimes I can’t think of the right word or remember where I left my keys or forget why I opened the fridge. I’m not in dementia territory yet, but I do try to exercise regularly, eat (mostly) right and follow most of the other tips I gave in my July 21, 2018 post Wait…Wait…Don’t Tell Me!—Novel Ways to Improve Your Memory.
Still, I also wanted to uncover what kinds of changes in our memories are normal as we gain years. I found a concise summary in a recent issue of UCLA Healthy Years magazine, Memory Changes as We Age, which is based on research conducted by Laura Germine, PhD of Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital.
Age-related Stages of Memory
20s
Brain development peaks. You can learn, reason, process problem-solve, and remember new information as quickly as you’ll ever be able to do.
30s
Learning, processing, reasoning abilities, and thinking speed gradually decline. Working memory—the ability to quickly call up information—peaks.
40s
Cognitive function and memory are generally strong. Subtle changes in your ability to remember new information begin. Reasoning skills slow. The ability to multi-task declines.
50s
Mild forgetfulness sets in. Memory, processing skills, and the ability to learn new information gradually declines. Your ability to recall vocabulary and general knowledge improves.
60s
Memory, processing skills, and other executive functions continue to decline. Comprehension of vocabulary and general knowledge stays stable.
70s
You have more trouble with working memory and information recall. It’s harder to formulate concepts and think abstractly. Risk of dementia rises.
80s
Trouble with both short-term and long-term memory increases. It’s harder to remember everyday words and names. By age 85, nearly one out of three people has Alzheimer’s disease changes in the brain.
The article didn’t include memory issues experienced by folks in their 90s. Just as well. By those years I think it’s pretty much a one-way street for most of us.