Introduction
Many people suffer from various disorders that limit their ability to effectively retrieve information from their memory. While some cases are caused by complications in cognitive development, others may be caused by some acquired illnesses or physical damage of some parts of the brain. Memory loss can a short-term or long-term issue depending on the factors that cause it. There are several ways proposed by scientists to boost memory, and they can be applied for various memory-related dysfunctions.
People need to retain their memory to survive through the skills and knowledge they have acquired. Despite the many ways of memory boosting that have been proposed over the years, very few are known to work for people with memory loss. This paper looks at some of the conditions that can prevent memory retention, and some of the viable ways that people can improve their memory.
Conditions that can prevent memory retention
Dementia is one of the conditions that are characterized by loss of memory. Dementia is a mental illness that affects many processes of the brain, including the creation and retention of short-term and long-term memory. Alzheimer’s is one of the conditions that are associated with dementia. It is a disorder that is associated with old age because it attacks people gradually as they approach their senior adult stage of life (Memory Loss and Dementia, 2015).
Memory loss is a symptom of the disorder, and it happens gradually; hence, with the presence of assistive technology and other memory boosters, a patient can retain his or her memory. The loss of memory for people with dementia has been linked to the damage of the parts responsible for short-term and long-term memory in the brain. It may also be a result of the damage to the parts associated with judgment in the brain, or a destruction of the pathway that facilitated the retrieval of memory in the brain.
Depression is also a condition that is associated with poor retrieval and the development of memory. Depression is a result of prolonged stress and anxiety, and these conditions are characterized by the lack of concentration and impaired memory. People suffering from depression are more likely to make numerous mistakes at work and at home because their minds are occupied with other things that cause the extensive stress. The brain’s response to stress and depression is characterized by the inability to focus on learning, and the retrieval of information from the memory becomes difficult (Memory Loss, 2015).
The amount of sleep and its quality is also associated with the inability to retrieve memory accordingly. It is apparent that the fatigue caused by getting insufficient sleep can render the brain unable to coordinate in the retrieval and creation of memory. Most people find it difficult to concentrate when they have not had sufficient sleep for a long time, and their cognition is clearly impaired. Studies show that people that are deprived of sleep have lower mental agility, especially in terms of memory creation and recollection of information. Scientists have linked with the ability of the brain to make new memory when people learn new things. Sleep also relaxes the brain; thus, enhancing mental reflexes required to remember things (Sleep Deprivation and Memory Loss, 2015).
Improving memory
The best way to improve memory for most people who do not have any serious conditions causing memory loss is to get sufficient rest (Feldman, 2012). Sleeping for the recommended number of hours is vital for the development of memory. For instance, students in the university spend most of their time reading and researching, and they may fail to get sufficient sleep for prolonged periods. This leads to poor performance in exams despite spending sleepless hours reading.
In essence, sleeping gives the brain the time to rest and one feels rejuvenated after getting sufficient sleep. This is also associated with an increase in mental agility; thus it gets easier to remember the things that one has read before (Sleep Deprivation and Memory Loss, 2015). The quality of sleep should also be addressed because one can sleep for the recommended time, but under disturbance. Sleeping time should not be interrupted because the brain needs to rest without being triggered to function between naps.
Improving memory naturally can be a big challenge for people with dementia, but technology has stepped in to provide the patients with assistive devices for memory boosting. Assistive technology has been developed to enhance the quality of life for the people with mental conditions that limit their ability to remember things. For instance, patients with dementia can be helped to improve their memory by installing alarms to remind them about their daily activities.
Most patients with this condition forget to close water taps and to lock their doors, but with the appropriate assistive technology, it is possible to improve their memory. Keeping reminders all over the house also helps in boosting the memory of people at the initial stage of Alzheimer’s (Gillespie, Best & O’Neill, 2012).
Lifestyle changes have also been associated with helping people with various psychological disorders to improve their memory. For instance, regular exercises are recommended by scientists dealing with victims of depression. Exercising stimulates the brain to work at its optimum level. The neurotropic factor released in the brain during exercises boosts the health of the brain, and it triggers an enhancement in the cognitive processes of the brain, including sharpness in memory (Erickson et al., 2012).
Regular exercising increased the flow of oxygen to the brain, and this influenced healthy functioning of the parts of the brain associated with memory retention. This facilitates the optimal function of the parts of the brain associated with the creation and retrieval of memory. The brain’s memory center experiences healthy growth and development when people engage in regular exercises.
Conclusion
Memory loss and failure to retrieve information from the brain effectively are conditions that many people experience. The causes of memory deterioration vary, and they may include the presence of psychological disorders, experiencing physical injury to the brain, and lack of sufficient sleep. It is apparent that the presence of some mental disorders like dementia leads to gradual loss of memory. Incurring a physical injury to the head can also cause temporary or permanent loss of memory based on the part of the brain that is damaged by the injury.
Lack of sufficient sleep may also lead to problems in memory retrieval. One of the proposed ways of improving memory is getting sufficient sleep for people who require to remember things quite often. For instance, students should always get sufficient sleep if they are to pass their exams. People with dementia can install assistive technology around their houses to boost their memory. Regular exercising can also improve memory effectively.
References
Erickson, K. I., Weinstein, A. M., Sutton, B. P., Prakash, R. S., Voss, M. W., Chaddock, L., & Kramer, A. F. (2012). Beyond vascularization: aerobic fitness is associated with N‐acetylaspartate and working memory. Brain and behavior, 2(1), 32-41.
Feldman, R. (2012). Essentials of Understanding Psychology, 10th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Gillespie, A., Best, C., & O’Neill, B. (2012). Cognitive function and assistive technology for cognition: A systematic review. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 18(01), 1-19.
Memory Loss and Dementia. (2015). Web.
Memory Loss. (2015). Web.
Sleep Deprivation and Memory Loss. (2015). Web.