A minor decline in memory in healthy seniors is referred to as age - related memory loss (ARML). It's annoying, but ARML does not entirely disable memory.
How Memory Works
Memory is not a single process. Declarative memory is a source of actual information that includes vocabulary and life events. About one - third of healthy older people have some difficulty with declarative memory. This is ARML.
ARML does not interfere with other important mental functions such as reasoning, imagination, insight and abstract thinking. Non - Declarative memory allows us to recall skills and procedures. A person with dementia will have difficulty with both non - Declarative and declarative memory.
When Not To Worry
People with ARML and those with diseases such as Alzheimer's or other dementias have different experiences.
Normally aging people:
Use Your Brain
The best thing you can do for your brain is to use it. A rusty memory can be salvaged. In one study, seniors who did mentally stimulating activities such as practicing music and playing board games reduced their risk of dementia. Evidence also suggests that aerobic exercise sharpens memory skills.
Even believing in your ability to remember things may have some effect. When seniors were given a memory performance test, those who believed they would do well on the test did better than those who thought they would do poorly.
