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November07,2015 | 135,873views

HowYourMemoryWorks,andtheSurprisingImplicationsofImpairedMemoryFunction

ByDr.Mercola

Formostpeople,theabilitytorecallmemoriesisanautomaticfunction,andthemechanicsofmemoryformationisrarelygivenmuchthoughtorattention.Thatisuntilsomethinggoeswrong,andtheirmemorybeginstofalter.

Asnotedinthefeaturedvideo,yourmemoryholdsarecordofyourentirelifeandshapesyouridentity.Asyourmemoriesdwindle,itcaneasilyfeelasifyou'relosingtheveryessenceofwhoyouare.

Thevideoreviewsthefascinatingtopicofhowyourmemoryworks,andthesurprisingramificationsofmemoryloss.

HowYourMemoryWorksAtbirth,yourbrainbeginstoshapeitselfbasedontheinteractionsyouhavewithyourenvironment.Bybranchingandmakingnewconnections,theneuronsinyourbrainactuallyrecordyourexperiences.

The"recordings"storedintheseneuralconnectionsareyourmemories.Interestingly,theabilitytoformmemoriesandrecallpasteventsdoesnotoccurimmediatelyuponbirth.

AccordingtoprofessorMartinConway,anexpertonchildhoodamnesia,thisiswhymostpeopledonothavememoriesgoingfurtherbackthantheageofabout5,orinsomecases3.

He'sbeenlookingforthekeyeventorchangethatoccursthatfinallyallowschildrentorecallthepast.

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StoryataglanceYourmemoryholdsarecordofyourentirelifeandshapesyouridentity,buttheabilitytoformmemoriesdoesnotoccuruntiltheageofaboutfive.Priortothat,lackofselfrecognitionpreventsautobiographicalmemoryformation

Thesamebrainareasareactivatedduringmemoryrecallandactiveimagination.Researchersbelievethereasonforthisisthatyouusememoriestopiecetogetheranimaginedpictureofthefuture

Withoutmemory,youalsoloseyourabilitytoprojectorimagineyourselfinafuturescenario

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Pediatrictestsdesignedtoassessselfrecognitionachild'sabilitytounderstandthattheyareaseparateindividualfromotherpeoplealongwithtestsdesignedtoassessmemory,revealsafascinatinginsight.

Selfrecognitionisanessentialingredientforformingautobiographicalmemories.Thistypeofmemoryisdifferentfromrotememoryhowever,orthememorizationoffactsanddata.

LivingWithoutMemoriesThefilmfeaturesJohnForbes.Now30yearsold,hewasbornprematurely,andhismemorycircuitwasneverfullydeveloped.

Asaresult,hehastroublewitheventhemostbasictasksinvolvingmemory,suchasnavigatingtoadestination,evenwhenhe'sbeentherehundredsoftimes,rememberingthenamesofpeopleheknows,orfollowinginstructionsgivenjustmomentsearlier.

What'smore,eachactionyoutakeonanygivendayisactuallydependentonyourrememberingtotakeitwhetherit'stobrushyourteetheachmorning,orthatyouhaveanappointmentthatdayandthisissomethingJohncannotdo.

Hehastorelyonwrittenlistsforeverything.Healsocannotrecallanythingthathappenedinhispast.

ThedamageinJohn'sbrainiscentralizedaroundtheprimarymemorycircuit,thehippocampus.Whenyourhippocampusworkswell,eachmomentofyourlifeisregistered.

Whenitisdamaged,youwillstruggletorememberfactsandevents,andinseverecaseslikeJohn's,eventhemostbasicmemoryfunctionswillsuffer.

TheSurprisingLinkBetweenMemoryandImaginationResearchusingbrainimaginghasrevealedremarkablesimilaritiesinthepatternsofbrainactivitywhenyou'rerememberingapasteventandimaginingafutureone.

Infact,theexactsameareasareactivatedduringthesetwomentaltasks,andresearchersbelievethereasonforthisisthatyouusememoriestopiecetogetheranimaginedpictureofthefuture.

Whatthismeansisthatasyoudeveloptheabilitytorememberthepast,fromaroundtheageof5onward,youalsodevelopyourabilitytoreflectandimaginethefuture.

Formostpeople,thisabilityto"timetravel"inyourmindishonedbytheageof9.

John,ontheotherhand,cannotmentallyprojecthimselfintothefuture,sohe'strappedinaneternalpresent,withneitherfuturenorpast.Asnotedinthefilm,atfirstglance,thismightseemlikearatherpleasantcondition.

Hedoesn'tworryasmuch,forexample,becausehecannotrememberthattherearethingstoworryabout.Butontheflipside,he'sstumpedwhenaskedwhathewantsforhisownfuture.Inessence,hislackofmemoryofthepasthasrobbedhimoftheabilitytoimaginehimselfinafuturescenario.

TheBenefitsofMentalTimeTravelTheabilitytotravelthroughtimeinyourmind,backwardandforward,liesattheheartofourmostsophisticatedmentalabilitiesthatdefineusashumans.Oneofthereasonswhywecareabouttomorrowisbecausewerememberyesterday,andthisallowsustomakeplanstocreateabetterfuture.

Italsogivesyouthepowerofabstractthought,creativity,andproblemsolving.Ifnoneofushadmemory,noplanswouldeverbemade,andwe'dallmullthrougheachdayatrandom.We'dhavenoindustriesormodern

InfectedFactoryFarmedMeatMayBeAnotherCausativeFactorforAlzheimer'sDisease



technologiesprojectsthatrequireagreatdealofplanning,organizing,andfollowthrough.

Memoryisthementalfacultythathasallowedmantostakeaclaimatthetopofthefoodchain,asitallowsustolearnfrompastmistakes,andimaginewhattheoutcomemightbeifwechangeouractions.

Inshort,memoryisessentialforthesurvivalofourspecies.It'salsothoughtthatlanguageandadvancedproblemsolvingskillsareadirectoutgrowthofthehumanmemoryfunction.

RememberingWhatYou'dRatherForget...Yourmemoryreachesitspeakpotentialattheageof25.Atthispoint,yourbraincanrecall200bitsofinformationpersecond,allwhilecontrollingyourbodyatthesametime.

Forexample,youdon'thavetorelearnhowtorideabikeasthispatternisstoredinyourprimitivereflexivebrain.Similarly,mostofuscandrivetoworkon"automaticpilot"asitwere,withoutneedingtogivereflectiveconsciousthoughttosteering,breaking,andnavigating.

Whenitcomestomemories,wetendtorememberthingsbetterthatareimportanttous.Unfortunately,traumaticmemoriesarealsousuallyrecordedwithincrediblesharpness,makingadistanteventseemasfreshtodayasitwasrightwhenithappened.

Memoriescannotbedeletedatwill,whichcanhavenegativeconsequences.It'sbeenestimatedthatbyadulthood,atleast10percentofpeoplewillhaveexperiencedsomethingthey'dratherforget.Posttraumaticstressdisorder(PTSD)istheresultoftheinabilitytoforgetatraumaticeventthatcausessevereemotionaldistress.

ThefilmfeaturesGenevieve,whoseviolentsexualassaultnineyearsearlierleftanindelibleimprintinhermind.Itshowsherparticipatinginaresearchprojecttoseeiftraumaticmemoriescanbedampenedwiththeuseofamedicationcalledpropranolol,abetablockerusedfortreatingcardiovascularandanxietydisorders.

Changesinmemoryfunctionwasoneofthesideeffectsthatemergedwhenthedrugwasinitiallyreleased,whichledsomeresearcherstoconsideritforuseinpatientswithpainfulmemories.AsreportedbyMedicalDaily:

"Havinganalyzeddatafromavarietyofstudies,researchersfoundthatpropranololgivenbeforememoryconsolidationreducedsubsequentrecallfornegativelyperceivedstories,pictures,andwordlists.Useofpropranololbeforereconsolidationalsoreducedsubsequentrecallforwordswithnegativeimpactaswellastheexpressionofcueelicitedfearresponses.

Consideringthepivotalroleofharshandpowerfulexperiencesinthedevelopmentandpersistenceofmentaldisorders,interferingwiththeconsolidationorreconsolidationofanymemorynaturallyopensthedoortonewtherapeuticapproachesinpsychiatry."

TreatingPTSDbyDisruptingMemoryReFormationForoveracentury,scientistshaveknownthatmemoriesarestoredintheconnectionsbetweenbraincells.Thecellsgrowtowardeachotherinordertoformtheseconnections,throughwhichsignalscanbepassedbetweenthem.What'sstillnotunderstoodishowtheseconnectionsactuallyrepresenttheexperiencestoredwithinthem.

Whateverthemechanism,itwasthoughtthatoncestored,amemorywithallofitsdetailswasfixed.Butrecentresearchhasfoundthatrecallingamemorymakesitmalleableandfluidagain,anditisatthisstagethatthepainassociatedwithamemorycanbereducedbypropranolol.Thedrugappearstoinhibitproteinsthatenablethememorytobesavedagain.Sobytakingthedrug,followedbyrecallingthememory,theemotionalpunchthatgoesalongwithitcanbereducedovertime.

ThisisactuallylikelywhytheEmotionalFreedomTechniques(EFT),anenergypsychologyapproach,workssowellasitisabletohelprepatterntheneurologicalcircuitsthatstorepainfulmemoriesthatseverelyimpairone'sabilitytoliveafullyfunctioningpainfreelife.

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AgeRelatedMemoryDeclineLiketherestofyourbody,yourbrainchangeswithage.It'snotuncommonforchangesinmemorytooccuraswell,althoughmostpeopleadaptandcompensatequitewell,allowingthemtofunctionnormally.Notsurprisingly,theabilitytoformandrecallmemoriesisdependentonhealthybraincells.

Onefactorthatdrivesagingofyourbrainisbloodflow.Asbloodflowisdecreased,yourwhitebrainmatter,andtheconnectionsbetweenthedifferentbrainregions,beginstodeteriorate.Whenthatoccurs,thinkingbecomesimpaired.

Informationcarryingchemicalmessengersarealsoaffected.Bythetimeyoureachtheageof80or90,youwillhavelostabout50percentofthesechemicalmessengers,andthisalsoimpairsmemoryandcognitiveability.Eventhen,it'sremarkablehowmuchofyourmemoryisretained,ifyou'rehealthy.Therealproblemiswhenyourpoorlifestylecatchesupwithyou,andyourbrainstartstodeterioratebeyondthenorm.

ThiscanalsohappenthroughneurovascularaccidentslikestrokeorneurodegenerativediseaseslikeAlzheimer's.Thankfullysciencehasbeguntomorefullyappreciatetheneuroplasticityofthebraintocompensateforsomeofthesechallenges.IwillbepostinganinterviewwithNormanDoidge,MDinafewmonths.HeistheauthorofthefascinatingbookTheBrain'sWayofHealing,thatgoesintoextensivedetailsonsomeofthesehealingstrategies.

WhatCausesDevastatingMemoryLoss?Alzheimer'sdisease,asevereformofdementia,isnowthethirdleadingcauseofdeathintheUS,rightafterheartdiseaseandcancer.Oneofthehallmarksofthediseaseisthebuildupoftoxicproteinsinthebrain,particularlyinthehippocampalarea,causingmemoryloss.Butwhatcausesthebuildupoftheseplaques?ModernresearchhasfoundanumberofdifferentriskfactorsthatmayplayaroleingeneralmemorylossandAlzheimer's,andmostofthemaredirectlyrelatedtounhealthylifestylechoices.

Theseinclude:

Processedfooddiet.MountingresearchsuggestsourmoderndietisplayingasignificantroleintheskyrocketingprevalenceofAlzheimer's.Processedfoodstendtobenearlydevoidofhealthyfat,necessaryforhealthybrainfunction,whilebeingexcessivelyhighinsugar.Thiscombinationappearstobeattheveryheartoftheproblem.Fortunately,thesolutionisquitesimple:eatREALfood,andavoidprocessedfoodliketheplague.

Insulinresistanceanddiabetes.Alzheimer'sissometimesreferredtoas"type3diabetes."Yourbrainactuallyproducesinsulinnecessaryforthesurvivalofyourbraincells.AtoxicproteincalledADDLremovesinsulinreceptorsfromnervecells,therebyrenderingthoseneuronsinsulinresistant,andasADDLsaccumulate,yourmemorybeginstodeteriorate.PreviousresearchhasalsoshowndiabeticshaveadoubledriskofdevelopingAlzheimer'sdisease.AccordingtoneurologistDr.DavidPerlmutter,anythingthatpromotesinsulinresistancewillultimatelyalsoraiseyourriskofAlzheimer's.

Lackofexercise.Exerciseencouragesyourbraintoworkatoptimumcapacitybycausingyournervecellstomultiply,strengtheningtheirinterconnectionsandprotectingthemfromdamage.JohnJ.Ratey,apsychiatristwhowrotethebookSpark:TheRevolutionaryNewScienceofExerciseandtheBrain,saysthereisoverwhelmingevidencethatexerciseproduceslargecognitivegainsandhelpsfightdementia.

Heclaimsyoucaneasily"pushbackcognitivedeclinebyanywherefrom10to15years"byincorporatinganexerciseregimenthreetofourtimesaweekevenifyoubeginduringmiddleage,andexerciseatamoderaterate.

Sleepdisturbances(suchassleepapnea,insomnia,orchronicallyinsufficientamountsofsleep).Inonestudy patientswithsleepapneaand/orsnoringwerediagnosedwithmildcognitiveimpairmentmorethanadecadeearlierthanthosewithoutsleepapnea.Onaverage,thosewithuntreatedobstructedsleepapneastartedexperiencingcognitiveimpairmentattheageof77,comparedto90amongthosewithoutbreathingproblems.

OnsetofAlzheimer'sdiseasewasalsomorerapidamongthosewithuntreatedsleepapnea.On

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average,theywerediagnosedaboutfiveyearsearlierthanthosesleptwell.

Evenifyoudon'thavesleepapnea,chroniclackofsleepalsopromotesAlzheimer'sbypreventingcriticaldetoxification.Yourbrain'swasteremovalsystem,knownastheglymphaticsystem,onlyoperatesduringdeepsleep.Theglymphaticsystemallowsyourbraintoclearouttoxins,includingtheharmfulproteins(amyloidbeta)linkedtoAlzheimer's.Withoutpropersleep,harmfulwastebeginstoaccumulateinyourbrain.

KeyDietaryConsiderationsforAlzheimer'sPreventionResearch fromtheMayoClinichasrevealedthatdietsrichincarbohydratesareassociatedwithan89percentincreasedriskfordementiawhilehighfatdietsareassociatedwitha44percentreducedrisk.Thiscombinationofverylittlesugarandcarbs,alongwithhigheramountsofhealthyfatisessentialnotonlytoaddressAlzheimer's,butdiabetesandheartdiseaseaswell,sincealloftheseconditionsarerootedininsulinandleptinresistance.

Understandingthiscanmakeyourlifeawholeloteasier.Youdon'tneedtomemorizethedosanddon'tsforeachandeverydiseaseyouseektoavoidallyouneedtodoisshiftovertoamindsetthatisfocusedonoptimizinghealth.Diseasepreventionthenbecomesabeneficial"sideeffect."Myoptimizednutritionplancansetyouontherightpathinthisregard.Insummary,thefollowingfourdietaryinstructionsarekeyformaintainingbrainhealthandstavingoffAlzheimer's:

EatREALFOOD,ideallyorganic.Avoidprocessedfoodsofallkinds,astheycontainanumberofingredientsharmfultoyourbrain,includingrefinedsugar,processedfructose,grains(particularlygluten),geneticallyengineered(GE)ingredients,andpesticideslikeglyphosate(anherbicidethoughttobeworsethanDDT,andDDThasalreadybeenlinkedtothedevelopmentofAlzheimer's).

Ideally,you'llwanttokeepyouraddedsugarlevelstoaminimumandyourtotalfructosebelow25gramsperday,oraslowas15gramsperdayifyoualreadyhaveinsulin/leptinresistanceoranyrelateddisorders.Optingfororganicproducewillhelpyouavoidsyntheticpesticidesandherbicides,manyofwhichareassociatedwithneurologicaldysfunction.

Besuretochooseorganicgrassfedmeatsandanimalproducts,asanimalsraisedinconfinedanimaloperations(CAFOs)areroutinelyfedGEgrainscontaminatedwithpesticides,alongwithavarietyofdrugs.SomeresearchershaveevensuggestedAlzheimer'smaybeaslowactingformofmadcowdisease,acquiredbyeatingcontaminatedmeatsandmadcowdiseaseoriginatedintheCAFOsystem,whichforcesherbivorestoeatanimalparts.

Researchhasalsoshownthatvegetablesinparticulararebeneficialforslowingdownagerelatedcognitivedecline.Nutritionalinterventionwithvegetablesmayevenplayanimportantroleinreversingsuchconditions,courtesyoftheantioxidantstheycontain.

Replacerefinedcarbohydrateswithhealthyfats.Yourbraindoesnotneedcarbsandsugarshealthyfatssuchassaturatedanimalfatsandanimalbasedomega3areFARmorecriticalforoptimalbrainfunction.Healthyfatstoaddtoyourdietinclude:

Avocados Buttermadefromraw,grassfedorganicmilk

Rawdairy Organicpasturedeggyolks

Coconutsandcoconutoil(coconutoilactuallyshowspromiseasan

effectiveAlzheimer's

treatmentinandofitself)

Unheatedorganicnutoils

Rawnuts,suchaspecansand

macadamia,whicharelowinproteinandhighinhealthy

fats

Grassfedmeatsorpastureraised

poultry

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Avoidalltransfatsorhydrogenatedfatsthathavebeenmodifiedinsuchawaytoextendtheirlongevityonthegrocerystoreshelf.Thisincludesmargarine,vegetableoils,andvariousbutterlikespreads.

Avoidglutenandcasein(primarilywheatandpasteurizeddairy,butnotdairyfat,suchasbutter).Researchshowsthatyourbloodbrainbarrierisnegativelyaffectedbygluten.Glutenalsomakesyourgutmorepermeable,whichallowsproteinstogetintoyourbloodstreamwheretheysensitizeyourimmunesystemandpromoteinflammationandautoimmunity,bothofwhichplayaroleinthedevelopmentofAlzheimer's.

Optimizeyourgutflorabyavoidingprocessedfoods(sugar,GEingredients,pesticides,andvariousfoodadditivesalldiscouragehealthybacteriainyourgut),antibioticsandantibacterialproducts,fluoridatedandchlorinatedwater,andbyregularlyeatingtraditionallyfermentedandculturedfoods,alongwithahighqualityprobioticifneeded.Dr.DavidPerlmutterexploresthecompellingconnectionbetweenthemicrobiomeandbrainhealthinmyinterviewwithhim,connectingittoanumberofneurologicaldiseases,includingAlzheimer's.

OtherAlzheimer'sPreventionStrategiesBesidesthekeydietaryinstructionsjustmentioned,andgettingenoughrestorativesleep,exercisealsounquestionablyhelpspreventAlzheimer's.Itmayalsobeanimportantcomponentoftreatment.It'sbeensuggestedthatexercisecantriggerachangeinthewaytheamyloidprecursorproteinismetabolized, thus,slowingdowntheonsetandprogressionofAlzheimer's.ExercisealsoincreaseslevelsoftheproteinPGC1alpha.

ResearchhasshownthatpeoplewithAlzheimer'shavelessPGC1alphaintheirbrainsandcellsthatcontainmoreoftheproteinproducelessofthetoxicamyloidproteinassociatedwithAlzheimer's.Exercisealsoleadstohippocampusgrowthandmemoryimprovement. IwouldstronglyrecommendreviewingthePeakFitnessTechniqueformyspecificrecommendations.ThefollowingsuggestionsmayalsobehelpfulforthepreventionofAlzheimer'sdisease:

Intermittentlyfast Ketonesaremobilizedwhenyoureplacecarbswithcoconutoilandotherhealthyfats.

Intermittentfastingisapowerfultooltojumpstartyourbodyintorememberinghowtoburnfatand

repairtheinsulin/leptinresistancethatisaprimarycontributingfactorforAlzheimer's.

Eatanutritiousdiet,richinfolate Vegetables,withoutquestion,areyourbestformoffolate,andweshouldalleatplentyoffreshrawveggieseveryday.Avoidsupplementslikefolicacid,whichistheinferiorsyntheticversionof

folate.

OptimizeyourvitaminDlevelswithsensiblesunexposure

SufficientvitaminDisimperativeforproperfunctioningofyourimmunesystemtocombat

inflammationthatisalsoassociatedwithAlzheimer's.

Ifyouareunable,forwhateverreason,togetenoughsensiblesunexposure,makesureto

takedailysupplementalvitaminDtomakeyourbloodlevelatleast40to50ng/ml.Thisis

typicallyabout8,000unitsofvitaminDformostadults.

Avoidandeliminatemercuryfromyourbody Dentalamalgamfillings,whichare50percentmercurybyweight,areoneofthemajorsourcesofheavymetaltoxicity,howeveryoushouldbe

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healthypriortohavingthemremoved.

Onceyouhaveadjustedtofollowingthedietdescribedinmyoptimizednutritionplan,youcanfollowthemercurydetoxprotocolandthenfinda

biologicaldentisttohaveyouramalgamsremoved.

Avoidandeliminatealuminumfromyourbody Sourcesofaluminumincludeantiperspirants,nonstickcookware,vaccineadjuvants,etc.Fortipsonhowtodetoxaluminum,pleaseseemyarticle,"FirstCaseStudytoShowDirectLinkbetweenAlzheimer'sandAluminumToxicity."

Thereissomesuggestionthatcertainmineralwatershighinsilicicacidmayhelpyourbody

eliminatealuminum.

Avoidfluvaccinations Mostfluvaccinescontainbothmercuryandaluminum.

Avoidstatinsandanticholinergicdrugs Drugsthatblockacetylcholine,anervoussystemneurotransmitter,havebeenshowntoincrease

yourriskofdementia.

Thesedrugsincludecertainnighttimepainrelievers,antihistamines,sleepaids,certain

antidepressants,medicationstocontrolincontinence,andcertainnarcoticpainrelievers.

Statindrugsareparticularlyproblematicbecausetheysuppressthesynthesisofcholesterol,

depleteyourbrainofcoenzymeQ10,vitaminK2,andneurotransmitterprecursors,andprevent

adequatedeliveryofessentialfattyacidsandfatsolubleantioxidantstoyourbrainbyinhibitingtheproductionoftheindispensablecarrier

biomoleculeknownaslowdensitylipoprotein.

Challengeyourminddaily Mentalstimulation,especiallylearningsomethingnew,suchaslearningtoplayan

instrumentoranewlanguage,isassociatedwithadecreasedriskofAlzheimer's.

Researcherssuspectthatmentalchallengehelpstobuildupyourbrain,makingitlesssusceptibletothelesionsassociatedwith

Alzheimer'sdisease.

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