Remind yourself to remember

Do you fail to remember a name that’s at the tip of your tongue Are you suddenly at a loss for words in the middle of a conversation Do you ramble or mumble in between conversations These are signs that the brain is fatigued.

Temporary memory impairment in middle age is due to lack of attention in daily tasks. Stress and depression further contribute to one’s inability to register due to which there is difficulty in recalling later. Auditing of thoughts and having a sense of mindfulness is necessary for attention.

Overloading leads to memory loss Common reasons for memory loss are stress, vitamin deficiency, substance abuse, lack of sleep, smoking, ageing, dementia, side effects of some medication, thyroid disorders and memory problems after head injury. Increasing stress levels, lack of attention to minor things or selective memory due to multitasking, vitamin deficiencies like B12 can also lead to early age memory problems.

Dr Deepika Sirineni, consultant neurologist at Apollo Hospitals said, “When the brain takes too much work, it suppresses some areas to focus on a particular activity and treats other stimuli as irrelevant. For example, when you are busy finishing your project on your system and your spouse tells you to turn off the stove and lock the door as she is leaving; you might remember to lock the door because it’s important but you might forget to turn off the stove. This is because your brain didn’t process it enough to remember doing it.”

Similarly, when one is under stress the networks of the brains are too jammed to remember or recall. Dr Sirineni explained, “During stress, hormones are released which increase activity in the heart and muscles which suppress the brain areas leading to loss of recall. At the same time, once stress is relieved, all networks of the brains are active and it becomes easy to remember what was otherwise so difficult.”

There is no definite age cut off when memory loss could begin. Subtle memory impairment beings at 50. It is considered to be a normal part of aging and is called benign forgetfulness of the elderly.

Temporary memory impairment in the young or in middle age is largely due to stress, depression and also undernourishment. Substance abuse and excessive alcohol is also major reasons for memory loss.

Dr Gopal Poduval, consultant neurologist at Global Hospitals said, “To quantify memory into MB or GB is difficult. The average person has enough memory for daily social functioning and learning expands the abilities to additional skills, professional and academic achievements. There are psychological tests to measure the intactness of the memory system. These tests have been validated by many test centers which help to assess normal memory or reduced levels. Again like height and weight for a particular population, memory can also be mentioned in percentiles. Depending on age and education background, the percentile can vary.”

Do not multi-task Neuro imaging studies show that the brain doesn’t focus on several things at the same time. It gives its attention to one thing for microseconds and then to the other.

Dr K. Vinod Kumar, neuro physician at Sunshine Hospitals says, “The mind can focus only on one thing at a time. When a person multi-tasks, the brain is forced to divide its attention. This is found to directly impact concentration levels, performance and also the power to recall.

It has shown that multitasking tires the brain and fatigues the frontal lobe, which regulates problem solving and decision making.”

Multi-tasking increases the chances of making mistakes and missing important information.

Dr Kumar added, “It is very important to pay attention to one task at a time. It helps to do it better and also gives it 100 per cent.”

Memory boosters 1. Outdoor exercise 2. Healthy food with plenty of vegetables and fruits 3. Meditation and yoga helps to reduce stress 4. Keep learning something new, which will challenge the brain and also keep it active. 5. Get adequate sleep 6. Organise your memory by listing things to remember and setting alarm systems.

Cause and effect Vitamin B12 deficiency is found to be one of the major reasons for loss of concentration, slower mental processing, apathy, irritability, paranoia, depression, giddiness, tingling and numbness in hands and fingers. B12 is important for the formation of neurotransmitters in brain and nerves. Recent studies have shown that 40 per cent of the urban population suffers from this deficiency. Vitamin B12 can be derived from milk products and meat.