Aging and Your Brain
Is it normal to forget where you put your keys? Should you be concerned that it took a while to remember that person's name? Does this sound familiar? If so, you're not alone. These are questions many people struggle with as they try to figure out if changes in cognition – or how you think – are a normal part of aging. As you try to understand these changes and what to do about them, there's some good news out there: scientific evidence points to ways you can improve your overall brain health. Based on this growing body of science, Moneta has developed personalized programs for older adults that can improve memory and help keep your brain healthy and sharp.
What Does Normal Brain Aging Look Like?
“There seems to be widespread acceptance of physical aging. We accept the fact that we might not hear or see as well as we used to, or move as fast,” says Dr. Heather Palmer, Cognitive Neuropsychology Specialist. “But the brain is just another organ. And so if we physically age, it's reasonable to expect that we will cognitively age.”
These normal age-related changes in brain functioning typically don't prevent you from working, living independently, or having a social life. According to the UCSF Memory and Aging Center, “age-related declines most commonly include overall slowness in thinking and difficulties sustaining attention, multitasking, holding information in mind and word-finding.” But they note that “not all thinking abilities decline with age. In fact, vocabulary, reading and verbal reasoning remain unchanged or even improve during the aging process.”
The Alzheimer's Association provides helpful examples of typical age-related cognitive changes and the difference between these and warning signs of dementia. For instance, it's not unusual to occasionally misplace something and then have to retrace your steps. But it's not typical to get lost in a familiar location or have trouble completing tasks that were previously routine.
“[With] physical aging, people will seek out solutions such as eye glasses, hearing aids, more sensible footwear. However, they don't tend to ask themselves what tools or strategies can learn and adopt to support the changes I see in my thinking? In other words, what can I do to improve how my brain is functioning?”
Dr. Heather Palmer, Cognitive Neuropsychology Specialist
Curious about cognitive changes you may be experiencing and want to better understand the steps you can take to improve your thinking? Talk to one of our clinicians today about an assessment.