memory

Do you take pictures to remember?

Posted on 03/6/2012 by Ian Cunningham | AARP Blog Author | Comments

Personal HealthTwo recent photography essays have delved deeply into that most ephemeral yet integral part of ourselves: our memories. One of these, from the clever vision of Tom Hussey, is a moving set of portraits of people reguarding their youngselves in their reflection. As an essay, it hits deeply at something we do everyday. It also allows us to discuss with ourselves how we look at ourselves in the mirror. Each reflected image incorporates an element of the person as they …

Brain Games are Good Games

Posted on 01/27/2012 by Ian Cunningham | AARP Blog Author | Comments

Personal HealthWe’ve all heard the lingo used to describe brain as brawn: flex, workout, mental gymnastics and the like. But doing a bunch of good, old, hard thinking can be great for what is actually going on inside your head. We’re not saying you have to do astrophysics or argue over Nitchze in your spare time (though those can be fun), but we do have a series of brain training games that can put your head-space through its paces. Plus, if people think you’re …

Who’re You Calling Slow? Older Brains Can Match Young Ones, Study Says

Posted on 12/29/2011 by Candy Sagon | Personal Health and Well-being | Comments

Bulletin Today | Personal HealthAre older brains slower to make decisions? Yes, but they’re just as accurate as young brains — even up to ages 85 and 90, new research finds. “Many people think that it is just natural for older people’s brains to slow down as they age, but we’re finding that isn’t always true,” Roger Ratcliff, professor of psychology at Ohio State University, said in a press release. “At least in some situations, 70-year-olds may have response times similar to those of …

The Takeaway: Boost Your B-12 for Brain Health; Alternatives to Knee Replacement Surgery

Posted on 09/27/2011 by Elizabeth Brown | Brooklyn, NY | Comments

News RoundupsVitamin B12 is good for your brain; exercise and weight loss could negate need for knee replacement surgery.

The Takeaway: Confronting Mild Memory Loss, Quick Desk Workouts, and Why Wealthy Boomers Aren’t Keen on Inheritances

Posted on 09/6/2011 by Elizabeth Brown | Brooklyn, NY | Comments

News RoundupsHow Much Memory Loss Is Normal? Misplacing keys or forgetting who was in that movie you just saw doesn’t necessarily mean you need a one-way ticket to the Alzheimer’s ward, but it could be more than ‘just aging,’ Jane Brody at the New York Times writes. Mild cognitive impairment comes from “subtle deficits in cognitive function” and results in things like difficulty finding words, remembering names, or following one’s train of thought. According to Mayo Clinic neurologist Ronald C. Petersen, mild …

You Call Them Chores, They Call Them Memory Boosters

Posted on 07/29/2011 by Candy Sagon | Personal Health and Well-being | Comments

Bulletin Today | Personal HealthExercise helps the brain, but that doesn’t mean you have to work up a sweat to get those mental benefits. Some important new studies show that just getting up off your tush every day and doing normal daily activities like gardening, walking, or volunteering can stave off memory loss, the New York Times’ Gretchen Reynolds writes in a recent column. In a study published last week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, a team of Canadian and American researchers found that modest activity — …