Causes of Memory Loss

Our memories naturally decline as we age. Short term memories store information less easily and it becomes more difficult to learn new things, perhaps due to chemical and structural changes that occur as our brain cells become older and less pliable. There are certainly nutritional aspects to maintaining brain function, including optimal memory. Certain vitamin deficiencies, such as vitamin B1 and B12 can lead to mental impairments. Because the brain relies upon steady oxygen for function, cardiovascular disease may also reduce the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain, reducing cognitive function and memory.

Other factors, such as insufficient sleep, can also hinder memory formation, as it appears to be essential for processing interpreting information. Stress, grief, or distractions can divert our attention sufficiently that it prevents proper memory formation, leading to forgetfulness. The brain also has the natural tendency to look for the order and structure of things as it forms memories, so being disorganized or hurrying through information can also make it easily forgettable.

Drugs and medications can also cause memory loss. Chronic use of alcohol, marijuana, or other drugs can radically increase the incidence of forgetfulness and put a person at risk for permanent memory loss if there is damage to the brain. Forgetfulness is also a side effect of numerous prescription medications likely due to both biochemical changes in the brain as well as other side effects that may cause drowsiness and reduce attention span.

Amnesia, a disturbance in short term memory, can also result in memory loss. This phenomenon may be due to trauma, for example. In the case of a head injury, the amnesia may be caused by the interruption of memory storage, such that the moments before the trauma are forgotten. Amnesia may also develop as a psychological defense mechanism, as the brain tries to protect the mind from the horrors of the trauma. Amnesia may also be caused by infections if the part of the brain that transfers memories from encoding to storage is damaged.

Progressive memory loss can be caused by various forms of dementia, which is loosely defined as decline in memory and cognitive function due to disease or damage that occurs beyond what would be expected for normal aging. As part of this, skills associated with problem solving, understanding and using language, attention span, and memory may significantly atrophy or be lost. One of the best known examples of dementia is Alzheimer's disease, in which neurons in the cerebral cortex are lost. This part of the brain is associated with awareness, thought, consciousness, memory, attention, and language, so all these functions gradually begin to decline as that part of the brain degenerates. The precise cause of Alzheimer's disease is not understood. Other diseases associated with the development of dementia include Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, and syphilis.

Conventional Treatment of Memory Loss

There are all sorts of tips and tricks in conventional wisdom that can help people deal with their forgetfulness. Generally organizing belongings can make things much easier to find, and the process of the organization may help the brain remember where things are. Increasing one's awareness of their surroundings and learning to pay attention can also improve memory. Both of these things can enhance the encoding part of the process which is vital for forming a memory. Relaxation and general reduction of stress can also aid in memory formation, helping remove distraction and increase attention span.

There are also numerous memory improving techniques that people use. Repeating someone's name several times during your first conversations, for example, can help you remember it the next time you see their face. Repetition is generally an excellent way to help solidify a memory, and the more sensory details associated with It, the easier the memory will be to store and retrieve. Forming habits to help deal with things that you often forget can also be helpful. If you often forget where your car is in the parking lot, for example, you should make a habit of always parking in the same place, if possible.

Treatments of amnesia largely depend upon the cause. If memories are lost in an accident, it may be that they can never be recovered if they never made it to the storage phase of memory formation. Restoration of memory following trauma may have similar obstacles, though in some cases, it is possible to bring memories to the surface through therapy. If the memory was actually formed and it is an issue of retrieval, then restoring the memory is a matter of finding the right cues to uncover it. If there has been severe damage to the portions of the brain involving memory, however, it may be that the best a patient can hope for is to cope with the memory loss with the help of their families.

Memory loss as a byproduct of dementia is typically treated based on the underlying diseases or disorders. Many of these diseases are heavily researched but not yet well-understood. Because cures have not been found for many of these diseases, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, most drugs are geared toward slowing the progress of the dementia.

Patients Medical's Treatment of Memory Loss

There is clearly a direct connection between the health of the body and the health of the mind, so our initial consultation will involve a comprehensive interview to help us not only understand the mental concerns you have been feeling, but any other physical concerns that may be contributing to your forgetfulness or memory loss.

It is thought that one of the factors that contributes to natural aging processes is the reduced cardiovascular health that many aging people experience. Hypertension, atherosclerosis, and high cholesterol can all impact the quality of blood flow into the brain. Blood flow is essential for carrying oxygen and nutrients to all the tissues in the body, and if the brain does not receive as much nourishment as it should, mental (and further physical) effects are very likely to occur.

We will begin by helping you improve your overall state of health through any necessary diet modifications to improve your cardiovascular health and increase blood flow to the brain. Introducing regular exercise can also help improve blood flow, lower stress, and increase energy, which can improve awareness and concentration.

One of the nutritional supplements we offer is Ceriva™, a special formula designed to encourage healthy neural signaling, which is critical for all aspects of memory and cognitive function. This supplement supports acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that is specifically involved in the formation of both long and short term memory. It also features Tocomin® SupraBio™ and huperzine A, a plant extract that has been used in Chinese herbal medicine for centuries that was recently shown in clinical trials to have neuroprotective effects.

(Please also see our article on Alzheimer's disease for additional information and resources.)

We are located at: Patients Medical PC, 800 Second Avenue, Suite 900 (Between 42nd & 43rd Street), Manhattan, New York, NY 10017.