Brain Plasticity
No, your brain is not made of plastic, unless you are a plastic human model with a plastic brain. What is meant by brain plasticity - also called neuroplasticity - is the brain's adaptability to change according to the experiences it is exposed to. When you learn something new or master new information, new neural connections are formed.Neuroplasticity includes different processes that occur throughout a person's life. This means that given the proper stimulus, your brain has the power to form connections between and among its neural pathways, no matter your age.
Causes of Memory Loss
While some people see a slight decline in their ability to recall information and learn new things, studies have shown that the elderly, given enough time, can perform as well as, or even better than their younger counterparts, especially in vocabulary tasks. The elderly brain also seems to have the capability to recruit other regions into fulfilling difficult tasks, a proof of its plasticity. If aging does not directly cause memory loss, what does? Here are some of the causes of memory loss:1. Vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitamin B12 performs many roles, one of which is to develop and maintain a healthy nervous system. Vitamin B12 absorption slows down as people age, which is why memory loss is often associated with aging.
2. Silent stroke. This is a stroke that the sufferer is not aware of since there are no outward symptoms. When this occurs, major brain blood vessels get blocked, resulting in decreased blood and oxygen flow to the brain.
3. Sleep apnea. People suffering with sleep apnea repeatedly stop and start breathing as they sleep. This irregular breathing can deprive the brain of oxygen several hundred times a night, a condition that stresses the brain and affects the kind of memory responsible for remembering directions or locating things.
4. Medications. Different medicines, such as those prescribed for diabetes, pain, cholesterol, anxiety, allergy and depression can affect memory. Most of these conditions appear in the elderly, which is why old age is oftentimes blamed for memory loss.
5. Anxiety and stress. When you are anxious and stressed, you hamper your brain's ability to function optimally. These happens mostly in individuals who do not get enough sleep and those who multi-task and juggle many responsibilities.
Diet, sleep and alcohol and substance abuse could also affect the memory, so a healthy lifestyle is needed to ensure proper brain functioning in old age. Of course, conditions like Alzheimer's and dementia can be a culprit too, so it is best to get yourself checked.
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