A recent article in the L.A. Times discussed possible causes and treatments for memory loss. Dementia affects about five percent of older adults. However, many people worry that forgetfulness is an early sign of impaired mental powers. According to the article, lapses in memory are attributed to anxiety, sleep problems, depression, and heart disease and not necessarily a failing brain. Greg Cole, a neuroscientist with the VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System stated that it was the cells' speed and ability to send and receive signals that decreases with age. He also stated that there is very little brain cell loss even very late in life.
Physiological factors that can cause decreased brain function include loss of acetylcholine, free-radical damage, changes in cell membrane composition, and reduced blood flow. The article discussed some of the treatments for decreased brain function. Alzheimer patients treated with drugs to inhibit the breakdown of acetylcholine showed decreased progression of the disease. However, it is not known if this would help healthy forgetful people. Brain cells are particularly vulnerable to free-radical damage created by normal body functions. The best evidence for treatment of free radicals in humans is a daily dose of the antioxidant, vitamin E. Vitamin E is relatively safe and inexpensive. A 1991 study found that giving healthy middle-aged and older adults phosphatidylserine supplements improved memory significantly. Phosphatidylserine is critical to neural cell membrane function and was found to diminish with aging. The supplement was derived from cow brains. The Chinese herb ginkgo biloba increases circulation to the brain, which is thought to be a critical to neural function (blood flow). There are potential side effects such as gastric bleeding, which worsen if taken with aspirin. However, the results are promising enough that the National Institute on Aging is fund a clinical trial using ginkgo on adults at risk of dementia.
The overall consensus of researchers on memory loss and dementia was that a combination of these things would be most effective, regular physical and mental exercise. Physical exercise is important to increase blood flow and mental exercise helps maintain the signal pathways in the brain.
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