In Search of Lost Time (Memory Loss With Age)

New York Times ^ | 5 December 2004 | CATHRYN JAKOBSON RAMIN

[shrinkermd]

This is a long, anecdotal article on memory and age that does not get to the point until half way; however, it is worth the read since it contains such information as:

"And what precisely did it mean to have an average amount of memory impairment? Although we notice it first in middle age -- sometimes as early as our mid-30's -- memory starts to decline in our 20's. This has been demonstrated with mice, rats, primates and humans, all of whom begin to lose processing speed at about the same relative age. If you're a middle-aged rat, 15 months old, this means that it takes you longer to locate an underwater platform in a water maze. If you're a middle-aged human, it means that when you hear a list of words, you begin to lose some of your ability to ''acquire'' them (place them in short-term memory and parrot them back immediately), ''store'' them (move them -- after 10 seconds -- from short-term memory to long-term memory) and ''retrieve'' them (haul them out of long-term memory). These abilities don't change overnight, but by the time a person reaches her early 40's, there are statistically significant differences from the early-to-mid-20's peak.

I have been tempted to do a "vanity" on ageing and the Supreme Court. Part of our problem with the Court is they have fewer and fewer contacts with the real world and cannot remember what it was like. Surely, 25 years in office or retirement at 72 woul not eliminate good candidates from office.

[Max Combined]

What they lose in mental acuity they more than make up for in experience.

The Supreme Court Justices have very bright young law clerks from the top law schools to do their leg work.

[SE Mom]

I'm not in a position to make decisions about the age of the Supreme Court...but I've recently started to take some intensive training for work, and it's amazing how much easier it seems for the younger members of my class to retain new information.

I've started doing crosswords again recently - I read this is a useful memory exercise for those of us over 40 :)

[JustaCowgirl]

Ouch. Now let me see, what was I planning to post about this article?

[Glenn]

I read this is a useful memory exercise for those of us over 40 :)

I tend to agree. Keeps the edge on.

[Thebaddog]

If the woman had a big rack, I would have remembered her.

[shrinkermd]

"What they lose in mental acuity they more than make up for in experience. The Supreme Court Justices have very bright young law clerks from the top law schools to do their leg work

Yes, that is true; however, the big problem for everyone is that we may know or recognize up to 2500 people, but we, at most, interact in a meaningful way with no more than 20. Research has supported this and the thought is that we evolved or survived in small groups of less than 20.

In any case, this means SCOTUS members are increasingly reflectors of those small number of elites they interact with and nothing else. If one assumes government is society than, perhaps, is what we should expect with cognitive elites. If one sees the culture from a majoritarian perspective as something beyond, and many ways superior to, government, then this isolation is dangerous and doomed to long term failure. I for one see the culture or American civilization as being a greater force in daily life than the judicial elites who consistently try to abort or change it because of their almost missionary religious zeal to improve it.

Your point about the "law clerks" is proof positive the SCOTUS members need something else to influence them except bright law clerks. Indeed, scary as it seems now SCOTUS is talking about using international law as precedent--never mind our Constitution.

[blam]

I was gonna post something but, now, I've forgotten what it was.

[Vor Lady]

Thank you for this article! I was beginning to think I was having too many incidents of 'sometimers' disease! Someone needs to tell a person BEFORE they hit 40 that their entire body is going to start falling apart when they hit 40....

[bitt]

I prefer to think we have 'learned' to remember what is important and have purged the cache of the less important files and folders - hopefully to retrieve them if we have the time to rummage...
and it helps if you have a life mate who can bounce info with you...

[martin_fierro]

I noticed a dark-haired woman waving to me from the window of her car. She looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place her. Like quite a few others, she had slipped out of my mental Rolodex. In my brain, the synaptic traces that connected us had frayed. Yet again, I had misplaced an entire human being.
''So wonderful to see you,'' she said, inquiring by name after every member of my family, including the two dogs. Apparently she was not a casual acquaintance. Fending off panic, I proceeded through a mental list: Work? School? Synagogue? I couldn't visualize her in these places.

I had that same experience.

But it turned out the woman had just been digging around in my garbage, trying to engage in identity theft.

< |:)~

[FixitGuy]

Was searching in my van for fresh batteries to put into a small shaver that I keep there also. Noticed some papers & trash on the floor after I took out the old batteries.

Took the paper to the trash can and returned to install the batteries.

Had to go back to the trash can to retrieve the new batteries to finish the original chore.

Sure is good that this site remembers my password!

May I still be allowed to post? ;^)

[A knight without armor]

Very interesting.

[leadhead]

I was gonna post something but, now, I've forgotten what it was.

I call that Halfheimers because I'm not quite, not quite, old enough for Alzheimers.

[oldcomputerguy]

" I read this is a useful memory exercise for those of us over 40"

As someone who works on large scale computers for a living and am ready for retirement next year, this is what I have found essential for memory and concentration.

Vitamin B-6 is absolutely essential for short term memory, absolutely essential. I discovered this 25 years ago in a mentally very demanding work situation. I take 50-100mg a day and have for years.

Magnesium is essential for concentration. I take 250 Mg per day.

Lecithin is a cheap way to get neurotransmitter raw material but not all brands are the same, look for granules with high levels of Phosphatidylcholine. I just eat a spoonful of the granules personally.

Omega-3 essential fatty acids are mental clarifiers and they also functionally replace Prozac. Your skin will become oily when your Omega-3 levels are adequate. It took several months(several bottles) to achieve this condition, but only small maintenance schedule to continue it, almost like filling a reservoir.

There are others touted for memory and mental acuity but these are the ones I found most effective. Gingo, DMAE etc I have found less effective personally.

[Old Professer]

I do the daily Cryptoquote as a self-test.

[Old Professer]

Just what we need, a roadmap to unctuousness.

[oldcomputerguy]

"a roadmap to unctuousness."

I had to look that one up. And I still can't pronounce it,

However, the benefits of Omega-3 oil can obtained far short of greasy skin. The point is that it also smooths and makes the skin supple, more like it was when it was young, but from the inside.

[null and void]

Space aliens

[null and void]

I call that Halfheimers because I'm not quite, not quite, old enough for Alzheimers.

Good one. I call it CRS - Can't Remember S#!+...