Partial memory loss in the elderly. Memory Loss in Young and Old People: Causes and Recovery

Elderly people always bring problems, the opinion of children and grandchildren.

But this is not the fault of the elderly, since with age, irreversible changes occur in the whole organism, including the brain. Human memory is a completely unexplored substance by scientists.

It is known that it can fail not only in old age, but also at a young age. It helps a person to navigate in space, and temporal, linking the past, present and future.

In addition, memory is responsible for social adaptation in society. Knowing your name, as well as the names of your relatives and friends, it is easier for people to adapt in life.

But what to do when it disappears for a while or disappears altogether? Moreover, this is very dangerous in adulthood, although according to statistics, old people are more susceptible to amnesia.

Consider the main causes of such a disease, what are the symptoms and how to help old parents overcome the disease.

Causes of memory loss

Memory loss is a phenomenon not fully understood. It can be long-term or short-term and is defined as the loss of complete or partial memories.

Memory loss is limited to a number of causes that can be divided into two groups:

physiological;
psychological.

Let's take a closer look at what each group is about.

Physiological

These reasons are justified by changes in the functioning of important body systems:

Chronic diseases that last throughout life and lead to the negative consequences of deviations in mental activity.
Head injuries that impair brain function.
Age-related brain disorders.
Disorders of the nervous system.
, which lead to regular lack of sleep, which is the cause or an excited state.
Sedentary and immobilized lifestyle and monotony in work.
Failure of metabolic processes.
and improper dietary intake.
Circulatory problems.
Infectious diseases.

Alcohol dependence can also be noted here, since constant intoxication with products containing alcohol also leads to irreversible consequences of the brain.

It can be said with accuracy that diseases directly affect memory loss, in addition, if a person has previously suffered, he can also lose his mind in old age.

Psychological factors

Constant stress in life, at work. Self dissatisfaction.
Fatigue, lethargy or excessive overexcitation of the body.
Lack of attention from friends, relatives, family members.
Excessive thoughtfulness, which is observed regularly.

When such reasons appear, the old man begins to act mechanically in this or that situation, not remembering the moments of the action. This develops constantly, and after a while the elderly cannot even remember what happened in the morning.

Symptoms of memory loss in the elderly

Memory loss in the elderly can be identified by the presence of the following symptoms:

Confused consciousness. When consciousness is in an abnormal state, as they say, “everything is mixed up in the head,” short-term memory loss often occurs.
. Manifested as a result of a head injury, senile dementia. Memory loss and speech impairments often complement each other, this is due to a violation of Broca's area, located in the medulla and responsible for language processing.
Violation of concentration. The cause of this symptom is the brain or an infectious disease.
, which is a consequence of a traumatic brain injury, an infectious disease.
Violation of orientation and coordination of movements. This symptom occurs when there are problems with visual memory. A person does not remember and is not aware of the location, cannot concentrate his thoughts. One of the first signs of Alzheimer's disease.
Fatigue. Appears as a result of a brain tumor, a viral disease, with thyroid disorders.
, which accompanies next to the loss of memories. An elderly person, being in an unconscious position, falls into, he is attacked by a feeling of anxiety, which leads to trembling throughout the body. Often this symptom occurs in people suffering from alcoholism and drug addiction.
. When this symptom appears, a person has problems with the coordination of the motor apparatus, in addition, it can occur in conjunction with impaired consciousness.
Regular bad mood, disruption of household chores, decreased interest in ongoing events.

Often, all symptoms cannot be present in a single case, they usually occur all together. If senile dementia is observed, then, as a rule, it is accompanied by a violation of orientation and coordination of movement.

Often on the streets of the city you can meet lost old people who do not remember who they are, where they came from and where they are going.

Their speech is difficult, their thoughts are confused, there is confusion in their heads. Sometimes the remnants of memories slip through, but it is very difficult to put everything together. When meeting such people, you should immediately seek help from a medical institution.

Types of memory loss

Depending on the events that have been erased from memory and consciousness, the following types are distinguished:

In terms of prevalence. Allocate complete or partial absence of memories.
Time, short term and long term.
By events that are lost. Consider anterograde and retrograde. At the first sight, the patient cannot remember events occurring in the past, but is able to remember the present moments. As a result of anterograde loss, this is a complete loss of memory. Retrograde - after the onset of a brain disorder, a person is not able to remember what happened before. But he can remember quite old events.
In terms of speed, the loss of memories can be sudden and gradual, which occurs as a result of the natural aging of the body.
Global amnesia - the patient does not remember the past, present, future time, cannot even remember what happens to him at some point in time.
Selective - the ability to emerge in the memory of an elderly person of any single events.
Visual - the name speaks for itself. The ability to recognize people is lost. There are moments when glimpses appear in the subconscious that supposedly saw a person, but does not remember who he is.

In addition, this list can be supplemented by species that are less dependent on body changes:

Korsakov loss - this type is found in people who drink, during intoxication and during a severe hangover.
Senile loss - the onset occurs gradually with the advent of senile age. often old people cannot realize what is happening to them, but they will gladly tell all the events of their turbulent youth.
After a stroke - the emerging symptoms of a past illness, such as impaired vision, speech, sensitivity, lead to memory loss.

Memory loss after alcohol

should be singled out as a special case. Amnesia can appear already at the first stage.

This occurs when the nervous system is damaged by ethyl alcohol. As a rule, memory loss is short-term.

The appearance of signs of memory loss in a drinking person is influenced by several factors:

degree of alcohol-containing drink;
the amount of harmful liquid drunk;
mixing several types of alcoholic products;
drinking alcohol on an empty stomach;

Memory loss is directly related to the amount of alcohol ingested. If the dose is small, then memory loss may not occur. It all depends on the age categories, gender of the person, his state of health.

Amnesia can occur during the use of an alcoholic beverage and drug treatment. Some, mostly all, drugs are not recommended for use with alcohol.

In addition to drugs, the joint use of drugs should be excluded. If such a case occurs, then a period of time falls out for a person, which begins from the moment of onset of intoxication and ends during the passage of the hangover syndrome.

With constant alcoholism, Korsakov's memory loss is observed. This syndrome is observed with constant intoxication, when food products and do not enter the body.

Treatment

Memory loss is a complex process. Where to go, how to treat?

And a number of questions arise when the first signs of amnesia appear.

It is worth remembering that memory recovery is a laborious and long-term process. But positive results are to be expected.

Medical treatment

If the first signs of loss of consciousness and memories appear, then you should immediately consult a doctor.

He, in turn, will conduct a full examination to detect the disease and make a diagnosis, then prescribe medications.

Among them, you can designate a list of the most popular in the treatment:

Exelon;
memantine;
Mexidol;
Nootropil;
Bilobil;
Reminil.

In addition to these drugs, sedatives are prescribed, for example, Glycine, as well as a vitamin complex.

It is important when taking medications to influence the causes of the disease, which the doctor will find out and individually determine the treatment regimen.

Folk remedies

Folk remedies are not prohibited. Some doctors advise using the recipes of traditional healers to affect the disease in a complex way. There are several effective recipes that can help in the recovery process:

Pour boiling water over dry thyme herb and infuse for 15 minutes. Take 3 times a day, like regular tea. You can add honey to taste.
It will take 40 g of dry Eleutherococcus roots per 0.6 liters of water. Boil the resulting water mixture for 10 minutes. Drink 4 times a day for 1 glass.
For 50 g of walnut leaves, take 1 liter of boiled water. Insist for a while. Drink 1 glass 3 times a day.

You can also prepare decoctions, infusions, using: dill, potatoes, walnuts, rowan bark and other medicinal drugs.

Conclusion

The listed medicinal and folk recipes should be supplemented with communication and attention. It is important that the patient realizes that you need him.

It is necessary to develop the right one for him, brighten him up.

You can create joint gatherings, supplement them with crossword puzzles, memories.

Finally, if memory deteriorates, you need to visit a psychologist and jointly seek qualified help. But in no case should you leave an elderly person alone with his problem.

Video: Dementia and memory loss

Decreased memory and attention- the main manifestations of mental aging. With age, the speed of mental processes decreases, the ability to concentrate attention weakens, absent-mindedness, forgetfulness appear, difficulties arise in recalling names, names, the ability to learn, memorize new information decreases. The decrease in memory relates to a greater extent to current events, the facts of the past are not only stored in memory, but are often revived. It is well known with what pleasure older people recall the events of bygone years. Other mental functions also change. Psychic activity falls, the scope of thinking narrows, the circle of interests narrows. Reduced adaptability to new situations, orientation in unusual conditions.

Often changes with age person's character. A kind of senile conservatism appears, rigidity in assessing current events. Many of the changes taking place in the surrounding world seem alien or even hostile to an old person. A person becomes irritable, dissatisfied with others, grumpy. The ability to rejoice, to react emotionally to life events decreases. Self-esteem often decreases, dissatisfaction with oneself, self-doubt appear. Older people often become overly cautious, they have traits of stinginess, pettiness.

The features of memory and character described above, although they leave a certain imprint on the appearance of an old man, do not affect the core of a person’s personality. It remains the same as it was before. Memory disorders do not interfere with the daily and social activities of an elderly person, although they interfere in many situations.

Age-related changes in memory, attention and character are not a disease in the medical sense. However, in many cases they create a lot of inconvenience, both for the elderly person and for the people living with him. Currently, there are a number of medications, the action of which is aimed at improving memory in the elderly and senile age. The use of psychotherapy helps an elderly person to better adapt to the changed conditions of life.

Changes in memory and character are not always a reflection of relatively harmless age-related changes in the psyche. In many cases, memory and attention disorders are observed at the initial stages of the development of a severe mental disorder - dementia (dementia). Dementia is characterized by a progressive deterioration in memory, attention, thinking, and other higher mental functions. In dementia, memory impairment is always combined with changes in other mental functions and behavior in general.

Causes of dementia varied in old age. Most often, the development of dementia is associated with vascular diseases of the brain. The basis of dementia in vascular diseases of the brain is multiple damage to brain cells as a result of impaired cerebral circulation, insufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients, metabolic disorders and cell death. Often, vascular dementia develops after a stroke or a series of strokes. A common cause of dementia in old age is Alzheimer's disease. This is a progressive disease characterized by a gradually increasing decline in a person's mental functions with impaired ability to understand the environment and loss of skills. Alzheimer's disease can begin over the age of 50, but more often occurs after 70 and especially after 80 years. Less often, dementia is based on the development of other diseases characteristic of late age. These include Pick's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's chorea and some other rare diseases.

The development of dementia in the elderly and senile age is most often gradual. The exception is some forms of vascular dementia, usually developing after a stroke. The first manifestation of the disease is memory impairment to current events. The ability to memorize decreases, the assimilation of a new one is incomplete and unstable. A person becomes distracted, current events in his experiences are replaced by the revival of memories of the past. Usually gets worse time orientation, the idea of the temporal sequence of events is violated. Memory impairment is almost always accompanied by character changes person. Erased previously inherent personality traits. He becomes rude, selfish, features of rigidity and unreasonable obstinacy, outbursts of excitement and anger appear. In other cases, apathy and inactivity come to the fore. A person becomes passive, indifferent to everything, lethargic, inactive. In some patients, personality changes are characterized by the appearance of a special mental fragility, weakness, exhaustion, incontinence.

Recognize dementia in the early stages of its development is not always easy. A thorough analysis of all manifestations of the disease, additional neuropsychological and instrumental studies are required. Meanwhile, to make the correct diagnosis already at an early stage of the disease is extremely important. Therapeutic approaches differ significantly for different forms of dementia. It is at an early stage of development that dementia is best treated.

As the disease progresses, the symptoms of dementia become apparent. Orientation is broken, first in time, then in space, the environment. Patients cannot name the date, month and year, they often get lost on the street, do not always understand where they are, do not recognize their acquaintances and close people. In advanced cases, orientation in one's own personality is also disturbed. Patients cannot tell their age, they forget the key facts of life. Often there is a "shift into the past": they consider themselves children or young people, claim that their long-dead parents are alive. Thinking becomes more and more depleted. Gradually, the stock of knowledge accumulated in life is lost. Memoirs of patients become more and more incomplete, confused, inaccurate. Memory errors are often replaced by fictitious events. Speech is disturbed, the vocabulary is significantly depleted. Gradually, speech loses its meaning more and more, in severe cases, the statements of patients acquire the character of stereotypical phrases, fragmentary words and syllables. Habitual skills are broken: patients lose the ability to use household appliances, they cannot dress themselves, wash themselves. Conscious actions are replaced by stereotypical wandering and senseless collecting of things. violated ability to count, write. In severe dementia, a person loses the ability to exist without outside help, his activity is limited to meaningless screams and stereotypical movements within the bed.

Memory impairment and higher mental functions in dementia are accompanied by behavioral disorders. These patients are often agitated and have an unmotivated stubbornness that makes care much more difficult. Patients refuse to perform the necessary hygiene procedures, to eat. In some cases, on the contrary, there is an increased appetite. Sometimes, during the period of excitement, patients tear their underwear, break things, and become aggressive. Often, patients with dementia also have other mental disorders: ridiculous delusional statements, false perceptions, prolonged depression.

Patients with dementia need active treatment. Currently, drugs have been developed that can slow down the progression of the disease, reduce the severity of memory impairment, and facilitate patient care. There is a wide range of effective, and no less important in this age period, safe drugs that eliminate agitation and other mental disorders in dementia, contributing to the normalization of behavior.

Memory loss- this is an ailment, reputed to be one of the most mysterious phenomena of our time. The reasons for its origin are not fully understood. Many are interested in the question: “memory loss, what is the name of the disease?”. The disease is called amnesia. It consists in the loss of memories of certain circumstances, the inability to recreate individual life events. More often, an individual erases memories of situations that have occurred recently, especially important ones. It often happens that the individual is not able to display the full picture of what happened, in other words, his memories are partial. With an absolute loss of memories, the subject cannot remember the faces of the close environment, forgets his own biographical data, as well as everything that happened before. Amnesia can occur unexpectedly, for example, it is often noted with alcohol intoxication. In addition, the ailment in question can develop gradually, often having a temporary character.

Causes of memory loss

All the reasons that provoke the occurrence of memory lapses can be divided into two categories, namely, physiological and psychological reasons.

Physiological factors include: trauma, chronic diseases (such as cardiovascular disease), various disorders in the brain and disorders of the functioning of the nervous system. Also, this disorder arises as a result of regular lack of sleep, a sedentary lifestyle, improper metabolism, non-compliance with the diet, and malfunctions in the blood circulation system.

Psychological factors include: daily stressful situations, constant fatigue, lack of attention, expansive states (lethargy or excitement), excessive thoughtfulness. As a result of these factors, the individual switches to the mechanical execution of certain essential operations, while they are not remembered at all.

Short-term memory loss can be a manifestation of many different disorders. And the cause of its origin is depressive states, infectious diseases, various injuries, a side effect from the abuse of alcohol-containing drinks or narcotic drugs, taking certain medications, dyslexia. Among the most common factors provoking this disorder are: alcoholism, brain tumors, Creutzfeld-Jakob and Parkinson's, depressive states, stroke, meningitis, human immunodeficiency virus, epilepsy, and.

Also, the interaction of certain drugs can cause short-term memory loss, for example, the simultaneous use of Imipramine and Baclofen.

In addition, short-term memory loss can occur due to neurodegenerative diseases, cerebrovascular disorders, skull trauma, normotensive hydrocephalus, sleep disorders, thyroid pathologies, mental disorders, Wilson's disease.

Short-term amnesia, in turn, can provoke a hormonal disorder. Some representatives of the female part of the population during menopause may experience cases of short-term amnesia.

Partial memory loss is the so-called failure in the functioning of the brain, characterized by a disorder in spatio-temporal indicators, the integrity of memories and their sequence.

The most common factor provoking partial amnesia is dissociative fugue or a state after a change of residence. For example, partial amnesia may occur as a result of an individual moving to another city. In this case, events can disappear from the memory, the prescription of which ranges from a couple of minutes to several years.

The second reason for the form under consideration is considered to be a severe mental trauma or shock. The subject loses some biographical data that provokes negative memories.

In addition, partial amnesia may occur as a result of exposure to the individual. The individual may not remember what happened to him in the process of hypnotic influence.

Senile memory loss occurs correspondingly in elderly individuals. However, it cannot be considered solely a consequence of age-related changes. More often, senile amnesia occurs due to the lifestyle of individuals. Also, the causes of this form of the disease can be: metabolic disorders, infectious diseases, traumatic brain injuries, poisoning and various pathologies of the brain.

Memory loss in young people can occur due to chronic lack of sleep or sleep disturbances, lack of vitamin B12 and regular exposure to stress. Young people can also experience memory loss after stress. Often, as a result of suffering a severe emotional shock, young individuals can completely forget all the data about themselves.

Symptoms of Memory Loss

This disease is characterized by the inability to remember certain events or people. All the symptoms of the disease in question depend on its severity, form, and nature of the pathology. In addition to signs of memory lapses, visual impairment, headaches, tinnitus, spatial coordination disorders, irritability, confusion and other symptoms can also be observed.

More often, the onset of amnesia occurs after suffering a head injury, often causing a concussion. In a traumatic situation, retrograde amnesia is mainly observed. Her attack can last up to several hours. The individual completely loses the ability to assimilate and perceive information. The patient is in spatio-temporal disorientation and appears confused. He has a lack of memories preceding the traumatic experience or illness.

With anterograde memory loss, there is a loss of memories of the circumstances after the onset of the disease, while maintaining the images that precede the disease or injury. This form of the disease is caused by disorders that have arisen in the process of moving information into long-term memory from short-term memory or with the destruction of stored information. Memory can be restored later, but not completely. Gaps relating to the post-traumatic period will remain.

With paramnesia, the individual's memory distorts facts and events well known to him. You can often see characters in various television series who have completely lost their memories of their own past life and of themselves. Therefore, many fans of the series are very concerned about the question: “memory loss, what is the name of the disease?”. This ailment is designated as an escape reaction or is called a state of psychogenic flight. Usually, such a state is caused by a severe emotional shock or personal experience and can last for quite a long time. It is not uncommon for individuals suffering from this form of memory loss to start a new life in a different place and in a completely different environment.

Among the main symptoms of amnesia, there are: direct memory lapses, which are characterized by varying duration, difficulty remembering recent events and moments that have just happened, and confabulation or false memories.

Memory lapses can be a separate symptom or accompany other mental illnesses.

Transient amnesia is a sudden severe attack of disorientation of consciousness, which is not stored in memory. A characteristic sign of amnesia is the inability to recognize loved ones.

Attacks of transient amnesia can occur once in a lifetime, and sometimes several. Their duration ranges from a couple of minutes to twelve hours. In general, the symptoms go away without appropriate treatment, but sometimes the memory is not restored.

Wernick-Korsakoff syndrome occurs as a result of an unbalanced diet or alcohol abuse. This form is accompanied by symptoms such as prolonged memory loss and acute disorientation of consciousness. Among other manifestations, blurred vision, unsteady gait, and drowsiness can be distinguished.

In addition to these symptoms, amnesia may be accompanied by the following manifestations: dementia, decreased cognitive processes, impaired muscle coordination.

Dementia is characterized by a progressive nature, confusion and inconsistency of thought.

The decrease in cognitive processes consists in the deterioration of perception, difficulty in learning and performing mental operations. Encountering this manifestation is considered a rather traumatic symptom.

Violation of muscle coordination is most often observed in a number of ailments of the spinal cord and brain.

Memory loss headaches are often associated with either a head injury or diseases characterized by the presence of pathological processes in the brain.

Sudden memory loss, often combined with loss of consciousness, is often observed in strokes.

In addition, memory loss is often noted after stress or depressive conditions. As a result of a number of studies, it was found that stress destroys the growth of brain cells. Therefore, the longer the depression continues, the greater the damage will be.

Types of memory loss

Types of memory loss are classified according to the events that were erased from memory, prevalence, duration, speed of onset, and lost skills.

In terms of prevalence, amnesia can be complete, that is, all memories are lost, and partial - there is a fragmentary loss of memories.

In terms of duration, the described ailment is short-term (loss of memory for a short period of time) and long-term (memories are not restored for a long time).

According to events erased from memory, the disease in question is divided into anterograde and retrograde amnesia. In the first type of amnesia, the individual cannot remember what is happening after the impact of the trauma, while preserving in memory all the events before the causative factor. Most often, this type is observed after suffering brain injuries, psycho-emotional shocks and is characterized by short duration.

Retrograde amnesia is manifested in the loss of memories of events that happened before the occurrence of the causative factor. This form of amnesia is inherent in progressive degenerative pathologies of the brain (for example, Alzheimer's disease, toxic encephalopathy).

According to the speed of onset, the described ailment is sudden, that is, acute due to the influence of some causal factor, and gradual, occurring in the process of natural aging - senile amnesia.

According to lost skills, amnesia is divided into semantic, episodic, procedural and occupational. Semantic amnesia is characterized by a loss of memory responsible for the general perception of the surrounding reality. For example, the subject is unable to distinguish between animals or plants in front of him. Episodic - memories are lost for individual events or a specific moment. Procedural - the individual loses memories of the simplest manipulations, for example, forgets how to brush his teeth. Professional or working - is the inability to retain the information necessary to perform further operations, even for a short period of time. Such an individual cannot navigate his own workplace, does not understand what tasks he must perform and in what sequence.

The following types should be distinguished into separate forms of amnesia. Korsakov's amnesia is usually due to chronic alcoholism and is characterized by complete amnesia during intoxication and in the process of getting out of it. Often, patients, due to the fact that they have lost their memories, replace them with fictitious ones.

Senile memory loss is caused by natural aging processes. It is characterized by a deterioration in the memorization of current events, an elderly individual cannot remember what happened yesterday morning, but can tell in full detail about the events that happened to him in his deep youth.

Arising from a stroke. Memory loss headaches, dizziness, visual impairment, visual agnosia, sensory disturbance, alexia, loss of balance are typical symptoms of a stroke.

Amnesia due to brain injury. Almost always, even with minor concussions, there is a short memory loss. At the same time, memories are quickly restored.

Memory loss after alcohol

It is believed that even at the first stage of alcohol dependence, amnesia is possible. Sudden amnesia due to excessive alcohol consumption becomes stressful for the individual. However, memory loss after drinking alcohol is not observed in everyone. For the occurrence of temporary amnesia, it is necessary to “observe” the following conditions: the number of drinks drunk, the degree of alcohol, the simultaneous use of a variety of alcoholic beverages, the use of alcohol on an empty stomach, the combination of alcoholic beverages with drugs.

How much the connections between brain cells will be damaged during the drinking of alcohol-containing liquids depends on the amount of ethyl alcohol that has entered the body. It is believed that small doses of alcohol do not lead to the loss of memories. However, the effect of alcoholic beverages on people is quite individual: in the first place, the very concept of a small dose is different for different people, in the second, the gender of the drinker, his age and general state of health are of great importance.

There is also a pattern, the higher the degree of alcohol, the more likely it is that the drinking individual will have memory lapses.

The simultaneous use of different drinks containing different alcohols dramatically increases the likelihood of amnesia.

Drinking on an empty stomach promotes instantaneous absorption of fluid in the body, as a result of which almost all ethanol immediately enters the bloodstream, which leads to rapid intoxication, which has the most destructive effect.

When drinking alcohol during the course of medical treatment or combining the use of alcohol-containing liquids with drugs or smoking, the likelihood of amnesia increases several times.

Alcohol from the three types of memory is able to affect only short-term memory, in other words, the individual’s memories seem to “fall out” of a period of time.

Memory loss with alcohol intoxication occurs after a palimpsest. Minor memory lapses are considered a characteristic feature of the described condition, that is, the subject cannot remember some minor details, episodes of what happened during alcohol intoxication.

Memory loss in young people due to alcoholism occurs due to the occurrence of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. This syndrome is observed when the body of an individual undergoes prolonged intoxication in the absence of adequate nutrition, lack of vitamins B and C of the group.

Treatment for memory loss

The mechanisms of memory are quite complex, so the question becomes: "how to treat memory loss." Indeed, memory recovery is often a problematic issue. Therefore, treatment should include, in the first turn, the impact on the causative factor, neuropsychological rehabilitation, the appointment of neuroprotectors, drugs that activate cholinergic processes in the brain, B vitamins and antioxidants.

In addition, methods of hypnosuggestive therapy are practiced in the treatment of amnesia. During a hypnotherapy session, the patient, with the help of a therapist, restores lost events and forgotten facts in memory.

How to treat memory loss in the first place depends on the type of amnesia, its severity, prevalence, events excluded from memory and causative factors. To this end, many psychotherapeutic techniques have been developed. In some cases, color therapy is considered especially effective, in others - creative art therapy. With dissociative amnesia, methods are successfully applied, with retrograde - hypnotechnics.

Memory loss in the elderly how to treat? Memory impairment is considered an age-related norm that is steadily progressing. The age-related decrease in the ability to remember and recreate events is associated with the deposition of cholesterol in the capillaries of the brain and degenerative processes in the brain tissue. Hence, the main task of any treatment is to prevent further deterioration of memory. In the case of senile amnesia, one does not speak of a complete recovery. Slowing down the processes of memory decline is already a success. Therefore, in the first turn, drug treatment is prescribed:

- vascular drugs (such as: Pentoxifylline);

- nootropics and neuroprotectors (such as: Piracetam, Cerebrolysin);

- drugs that directly affect the memory function (for example, Glycine).

In addition, the following methods are considered effective: solving crossword puzzles and solving puzzles, reading books, memorizing poems, counting backwards from one hundred to one, etc.

Amnesia in the elderly, how to treat is determined exclusively by a specialist and after a thorough diagnostic examination, including instrumental studies and testing that can assess memory function and determine the type of amnesia.

What reasons lead to slowdown in speed and memory loss, how to check it yourself and try to restore it, especially for older people suffering from brain functional disorders - we will consider in more detail in this article.

Memory types

visual (visual);
auditory;
verbal and logistical;
emotional, when a person is able to remember many moments against the background of emotions and experiences for a lifetime;
genetic, some moments of thinking can be passed on to new generations;
motor;
muscle due to prolonged physical exertion, which resulted in the restructuring of cells and muscles.

Why is memory lost?

The human brain is a complex and multifunctional organ. Violation of memory functions, a decrease up to a complete loss is possible due to:

traumatic brain injury;
oncological diseases when the tumor is localized in one of the brain structures;
diseases against the background of the development of infection (meningitis, encephalitis)
stroke with damage to the lining of the brain;
failure of the cardiovascular system;
metabolic disorders;
stress, lack of sleep;
intake of junk food, including endogenous;
age, memory lapses most often affect older people;
lack of vitamins in the body, due to the lack of their entry into the brain in sufficient quantities;
smoking, alcohol, taking drugs, heavy metals (detrimental to brain structures);
bad ecology, which inevitably leads to memory deterioration with age.

What affects memory?

A person's memory is influenced by many different external factors that can enhance or, conversely, reduce it. Factors that negatively affect brain structures lead to memory disorders. Pretty important information can be quickly and permanently forgotten? It is important to find out why this happens, and what exactly affects memory.

Some internal diseases contribute to the decrease, deterioration, and inhibition of memory. Negatively affects memory:

prolonged stay in a nervous state of tension;
severe life cases, when disorders are inevitable in the future;
lack of sleep (gradually and irrevocably reduces memory functionality);
depressions that hurt and exhaust not only the soul. Constant negative thoughts in the head in the same way are reflected in the brain. Depression, according to doctors, is a disease that needs to be treated, otherwise memory can be lost completely and without the possibility of recovery.

Among the diseases leading to memory disorders can be identified:

diabetes, which, as a result of a malfunction of the thyroid gland, haunts 10% of our citizens today. Damage to blood vessels inevitably leads to memory impairment. It can be completely lost if urgent treatment measures are not taken;
diseases of the central nervous system, meningitis are not reflected in the best way in memory;
alcoholism reduces a person's intellectual abilities, leads to atrophy of brain cells and, of course, first to short-term memory lapses. Over time, they become permanent. If left untreated, such brain amnesia can lead to irreversible consequences;
drugs that destroy not only memory, but also all other brain structures. It is ecstasy that causes irreparable harm, as well as some sleeping pills, sedatives and antidepressants equated to narcotic drugs;
lack of vitamin B12. The body requires replenishment with vitamins by taking them in combination. To normalize the work of the circulatory system and the functions of the human brain, in particular, you need to eat more fish, eggs, meat, dairy products;
chronic diseases, which are more common among older people;
Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis. Read about the early signs of Parkinson's disease here. With progression, it leads to a sharp deterioration in memory. If you suspect you need to urgently visit a neurologist, go through the proposed examination procedures.

Memory check

You can check your memory with the help of special tests. Many different ones can be found today on the Internet by entering similar phrases into a search engine. After passing the tests, everyone will be able to determine for themselves how successfully they are passed and what is the state of memory at the moment.

How to restore memory in adults and the elderly?

To restore memory, many different exercises, medications and folk remedies are known. Also, a diet that, with the right selection, has a beneficial effect on all cells and structures of the brain, contributes to improving memory.

Medications

In case of disorders of memory and thinking, in order to increase the efficiency of the brain, improve blood circulation and normalize sleep, experts advise taking:

Glycine, put under the tongue 1 tablet up to 3 times a day;
Noopept for oral administration to improve memory, increase brain stability;
Piracetam to normalize concentration, activate memory with frequent dizziness, mood variability;
Phenotropil in diseases of the central nervous system, decreased concentration and memory;
Nootropil is indicated for use by the elderly in order to restore memory in case of excessive forgetfulness. Old people sometimes cannot even remember their first name, last name, address of residence, they are unable to explain their place of residence;
Vitrum Memory to enhance brain activity. Indicated for use by older people who have problems not only with memory, but also with hearing, vision;
Piracetam, a psychotropic drug, is prescribed to patients on an individual basis. Contraindicated in pregnant women, with kidney problems;
Encefabazole is prescribed for children with pathological processes in the brain that began development from birth
Aminalon, an amino acid drug to enhance metabolism, normalize the absorption of glucose by the brain, improve and restore memory after a stroke. Helps with alcohol intoxication, patients with diabetes;
Intellan for stress, depression, memory loss.

cerebrum compositum to increase brain activity and immune system activity;
golden iodine to normalize blood circulation to the brain, also to older people with weakened memory, lack of sleep, frequent headaches and dizziness;
memory for strengthening the vessels of the brain, normalization of metabolic processes of brain activity;
polymnesin to improve the work of thought processes.

Plant-based preparations, completely harmless to people of any age, should be preferred:

periwinkle;
Dietary supplements, the composition of which contributes to the maintenance of memory in the elderly;
ginger to enhance blood circulation, increase concentration;
black pepper to activate, revitalize the mind, increase the digestibility of substances;
Mosquito to improve memory, equip the brain with oxygen, glucose and antioxidants.

The body (in particular, the brain) is unable to fully function with a lack of vitamins.

Intellan to increase intellectual abilities, eliminate stress, depression, improve memory;
Tsikovit is indicated for admission to schoolchildren, the elderly to enhance mental capabilities (especially during the off-season);
Vitrum Memory, memory forte to enhance the digestibility of information entering the brain.

Diets

Diets (low-calorie in particular) are indicated for older people with memory problems. Properly selected can increase brain function up to 30%.

To retain information, increase the efficiency of the brain, one cannot do without including glucose and sugar in the diet to rejuvenate memory, as well as spices to normalize brain function:

You can combine different types of spices.

Folk remedies

At home, you can cook some good recipes to improve memory:

clover tincture. Dry the flowers, chop. To 2 tbsp. l. add boiling water (0.5 l), let it brew for up to 2 days. Take 0.5 cup 3 times a day before meals. The course of treatment is 2 months;
rowan bark. Prepare a decoction of dry bark. 1-2 tbsp pour boiling water (1 glass), leave for 2-3 hours, then drink 1-2 tbsp. l. up to 3 times a day;
pine buds. It is better to collect in the spring. You need to chew raw up to 4 pieces a day for 1 month.

Workout

Training is the best and most effective way to train and improve memory, it is:

solving crosswords;
learning foreign languages;
also poems, songs, tongue twisters;
chess games, for the development of logic and thinking.

Sedentary, inert, withdrawn people often suffer from such ailments. Only constant brain training, reading, writing, studying a computer, solving logical problems, needlework, learning new previously unknown activities of various kinds will not allow degradation processes in the brain to begin.

From training, memory and thinking will only gradually improve. Medications and diets can only speed up, revive and activate all important processes in the brain.

Physical training is shown to people after 40 years. They help to improve blood circulation, equipping the brain with oxygen. Otherwise, psychomotor functions will gradually decrease, the aging process will only accelerate.

Elderly people are shown cyclic sports to saturate blood cells with oxygen, normalize thinking processes, improve abstract thinking:

The human brain needs constant nourishment:

For schoolchildren and the elderly, not only good nutrition is of great importance, but also regular training, performing simple exercises to improve and restore memory.
Equally important is the regulation of sleep and work hours.
It is important for intellectuals who lead an active lifestyle (especially if the work is associated with the daily receipt of large amounts of information), it is important to get enough sleep.

When choosing, of course, you first need to consult a doctor. Even the best nootropics have contraindications. It is important to understand that a decrease in memory and attention (which is often observed in older people) are symptoms of many serious internal diseases and often quite dangerous ones (brain cancer, diabetes mellitus).

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Memory Disorders in the Elderly: Prevention and Treatment

In old age, there are often violations of the functioning of the brain of a neurological nature. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most severe and steadily progressive diseases. The pathogenetic mechanisms of its appearance are neurodegenerative processes, and the main symptom is an early maladaptive syndrome with memory impairment. In addition, among the diseases that lead to these disorders, acute cerebrovascular accidents can also be attributed. During such ischemic attacks, the brain is seriously affected, so there are violations of memorization and memory in general. Also, diseases leading to memory impairment include anxiety-depressive disorders, extrapyramidal pathology.

Not only diseases can lead to cognitive impairment in old age. It is believed that some of the changes that occur are the physiological norm in the process of aging of the body and, in particular, the brain.

A decrease in cognitive abilities worsens the quality of human life, which is a very significant and urgent medical and social problem, which is quite difficult to solve. If a person loses a clear memory, he cannot work normally, he cannot perform everyday tasks, he cannot communicate with people at the same level as before. Memory loss is a tragedy for a person, which is why we talk so much about it now.

Cognitive impairment leads to discord between relatives. People change the usual foundations of their lives, get irritated, they often have stressful conditions and quarrels with each other.

In addition to personal problems, these diseases lead to large economic losses for the state, since the need for treatment and rehabilitation of patients requires serious funds. In addition, memory loss often begins at working age, which leads to the loss of a person capable of working and disability.

Modern medicine cannot yet fully restore a person with such problems, but work in this direction is underway and there have been some successes. At the end of the 20th century and at the beginning of the 21st century, scientists obtained innovative data on the structure, pathogenetic features and neurochemical transformations during the main

neurodegenerative diseases. This knowledge made it possible to revise some approaches to treatment and build new therapeutic schemes.

It has been proven that symptomatic treatment for developing dementia in the elderly is effective and this effectiveness has been fully proven in practice.

Risk Factors for the Development of Memory Disorders

The next risk factor is genetic predisposition. This factor in no way, however, as well as age, cannot be corrected. AD is one of the most common causes of dementia and this disease is completely genetically determined, that is, completely dependent on heredity. The risk of developing asthma is especially high in the presence of sick close relatives who fell ill before the age of 60 years. Those who fell ill after the age of 60 most often got the disease by accident. However, the risk of disease in relatives of these people is significantly increased. The first and most significant risk factor has always been and will be old age. Memory loss in old age is normal, as many people think. By the second half of life, the human brain undergoes changes that further lead to the formation of the above diseases. These changes reduce the effectiveness of the protective barriers and mechanisms of the brain. In old age, the number of neural connections decreases, the number of synapses decreases, the activity of the dopamine, noradrenaline, acetylcholine systems decreases, which contribute to the conduction of impulses along nerve fibers. Neuronal plasticity, that is, the ability of neurons to vary functional properties during adverse effects, is reduced, and thus the compensatory capabilities of the brain and nervous system, in general, are practically reduced to a minimum.

Another no less important cause of memory loss is cardiovascular pathology, and arterial hypertension stands out in importance from the entire region. Asynchronous studies in different regions of the world have shown that the presence of arterial hypertension in middle age significantly increases the risk of neurodegenerative changes.

brain in old age. Why arterial hypertension contributes so much to the development of memory disorders is now being clarified, but there are opinions that foci of microinfarcts are formed in the brain, which lead to the development of AD and vascular cognitive impairment. For example, type 2 diabetes mellitus significantly leads to cognitive impairment. The Rotterdam study confirmed that the risk of developing memory impairment in patients with type 2 diabetes is 2 times higher than in their peers from the control group.

Abdominal obesity and hyperlipidemia also contribute to the development of memory impairment as a person ages. Scientists have identified a pattern of maximum risk of developing these changes in patients simultaneously suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, and abdominal obesity.

Traumatic brain injury is a serious risk factor, depression, vitamin B deficiency.

Methods of non-drug prevention of folic acid deficiency, in youth, insufficiently active intellectual and physical activity.

A diet rich in natural antioxidants. From natural antioxidants, vitamins E and C can be distinguished, which are present in vegetable oils, citrus fruits, and seafood. The "Mediterranean diet" is able to provide the human body with all the necessary substances that improve neurotransmitter activity and communication between neurons.
Memory training is systematic and constant. People of intellectual labor are the least susceptible to cognitive disorders in old age. Of course, dementive manifestations are present, but such people can cope with them much easier and more effectively. All people in old age need training in memory and attention.
Adequate regular physical activity. There is good evidence that CI disorders come to the elderly much later if he is physically active. This dependence can be explained by the positive effect of physical activity on the emotional sphere, the cardiovascular system, and body mass index.

Prevention of CI and treatment of the cardiovascular system

Diseases of the cardiovascular system affect the formation of CI, so for many years scientists have been asking the question, what effect does the treatment of these diseases have on the risk of CI in old age? Some studies show that, for example, the calcium channel blocker nitrendipine may be given as a prophylactic agent in the development of initial symptoms of dementia. Eprosartan, a combination of perindopril with indapamide, also showed their effectiveness in the prevention of CI. Other antihypertensive drugs did not give such effects. It should be noted that such positive effects of the above drugs appear only when blood pressure is stabilized within the normal range.

The use of statins in the prevention of CI is of great interest. Recently, experimental data have appeared that an increase in cholesterol negatively affects not only the state of peripheral vessels, but also contributes to the formation of senile plaques in the brain, as in AD. Studies of statins and their preventive effect are small, so the data are rather contradictory and inconclusive.

Used metabolic and vasoactive treatment of memory loss. These treatments are very affordable and are prescribed almost everywhere. At the same time, good results are achieved in improving memory and eliminating other vascular symptoms. Patients' well-being improves, mood rises. The neuroprotective effect of these drugs is very hotly discussed. For example, ginkgo biloba increases the tone of microvessels by acting directly on arterioles without the effect of stealing. The rheological properties of blood improve, there is no pathological thrombus formation. Memoplant, which contains ginkgo biloba, is used very hastily in elderly patients due to its excellent vasoactivity and antioxidant effect. During studies of this drug, it was found that against the background of a placebo (dummy effect), CI developed more often than in the group of patients taking Memoplant.

Another approach to therapy is the use of the NMDA receptor blocker memantine. This method is accepted by official medicine.

In the prevention and treatment of CI, it must be understood that without the treatment of concomitant diseases, the effect will be low or not at all. In old age, a person has a sufficient baggage of diseases that will develop or exacerbate cognitive impairment. These diseases include hypothyroidism, chronic heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and substance abuse.

From the above, it follows that the treatment of cognitive impairment should be comprehensive and affect all the pathological conditions that the patient has in order to achieve the most positive result.

Thus, at present, there are well-established therapeutic approaches to patients with cognitive impairments at all stages of the pathological process. In older people without cognitive impairment, the prevention of their occurrence is the correct and timely treatment of cardiovascular diseases, systematic intellectual exercises, rational nutrition and physical activity. With cognitive impairments that do not reach the severity of dementia, it is advisable to conduct vasoactive and neurometabolic therapy. In patients with dementia, the first choice drugs are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and memantine. At all stages of cognitive insufficiency, the treatment of concomitant somatic diseases and the correction of the emotional state are relevant.

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Memory Loss in the Elderly: Causes and Treatment

Memory loss in the elderly: how to treat, what to do when symptoms of the disease appear - the topic of our next article about the health of people who have crossed the "autumn" threshold.

A decrease in the most important mental function is a real tragedy for a person, leading to the destruction of personality, deterioration in the quality of life, and disruption of social ties.

Age and forgetfulness

Bad, "leaky" memory is quite common in people of mature age. Senile diseases occupy the first positions among the burning health problems of the nation of any country. And the most annoying thing is that they fall on a person in the "golden" period - freedom from work, the opportunity to relax, travel, communicate with nature. Even schoolchildren know if grandparents have memory loss, what is the name of the disease. Of course, we are talking about amnesia.

Medicine has long established that emotional experiences (both joyful and painful), exciting events are remembered better than routine events. Senile amnesia - the loss of the cognitive ability to retain (save) knowledge or recreate previously accumulated material - affects more than 15% of people over the age of seventy.

Age-related forgetfulness is associated with the accumulation of "bad" cholesterol on the walls of the vessels of our "control center" - the brain, destructive processes that occur directly in the brain tissue. Many have noticed that often old people with pleasure and the smallest details can talk about the bright events of their childhood and completely forget what they did just recently.

Causes of memory loss in the elderly

At the same time, pathological processes in old age are not always the result of years lived. Their occurrence can be influenced by heredity, lifestyle, past diseases, including at an early age. Cognitive changes can be temporary or permanent.

With the first factors of the degenerative process, it must be borne in mind that if short-term memory loss has occurred, the causes can be caused by:

Illnesses that flow and are not always noticeable to others, including mental attacks, insomnia, fainting, dizziness.
Various damage.
Infections (Lyme disease, tertiary syphilis, tuberculosis, etc.).
Consequences of taking chemicals. It has been established that "Kemadrin", "Timolol", "Procyclidine", "Disipal" and others negatively affect the brain.
Abuse of strong drinks.
Taking drugs.

Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, neoplasms in the brain, depression are among the first "culprits" contributing to the insidious pathology. Doctors warn that if a loved one shows signs of Alzheimer's disease, you should immediately sound the alarm, seek medical help to stop the development of an evil illness, and prevent it from moving into an incurable, severe stage.

A short loss of the ability to remember is often provoked by traumatic brain injuries, the consequence of which is a concussion. Also, the cause of the pathology can be the cessation (insufficient) supply of oxygen to the brain as a result of drowning or suffocation. Discomfort can also be caused by respiratory diseases that create a deficiency in the supply of oxygen to the hematopoietic system. Brain sclerosis is often observed after experienced negative emotions.

If the disease is not detected in the early stages, examination and proper therapy are not carried out, then it can move to the next stage. Dementia is characterized by profound dysfunctions of the brain. The processes of information processing, generalization, perception, memorization suffer significantly, difficulties arise with the pronunciation of words.

Senile dementia becomes an obstacle to a full human life. Violation of mental function can make a person absolutely helpless, unable to fully live in society. In the early stages, old people lose - partially or completely - independence. With a moderate and severe form of the disease, suffering people need constant help, proper care, and psychological support.

Treatment

If a person began to show intellectual impairment, the possibilities of normal life activity at the household level narrowed, then a neuropsychological examination should be undergone. Elderly people should not postpone a visit to the doctors in such cases:

Over the past 2-3 months, her mood has noticeably worsened, her memory has often "failed".
During the performance of professional duties, it is difficult to concentrate, think logically, and clearly formulate questions.
Previously, the diagnosis was made: diabetes, hypertension, heart attack, deterioration of cerebral circulation.

Pay attention to the symptoms that are often observed with a malfunction in the functioning of the brain in people of the “golden” age:

Visual impairment, feeling of "veil before the eyes."
Feeling of heaviness in the head, which does not go away after sleep, rest.
Sudden aggressiveness, followed by depression, anger.
Ear congestion.
Loss of coordination in habitual conditions.
Confusion of consciousness.

What to do if there is rapid memory loss in the elderly, how to treat the disease? We note right away that the main task of treating senile amnesia is to prevent further aggravation of the disease state. In this case, it is not said about the full restoration of health. The specialist can only determine which drugs, methods are more effective to use.

To detect organic brain damage is carried out:

EEG (electroencephalography).
General and / or biochemical blood test.
UZDG (ultrasound dopplerography of the vessels of the head).
CT (computed tomography of the brain).
DSM (duplex scanning of cerebral vessels), etc.

For the treatment of blue amnesia use:

Pharmacological preparations.
Psychosocial therapy.

For medical treatment, the following are used:

Means that improve cerebral circulation (Trental, Pentoxifylline).
Drugs that prevent damage to neurons (Gliatilin and Cerebrolysin, Piracetam and Actovegin).
Means that affect the function (process) of memory (Memantine, Alzepil, Glycine). Ginkgo biloba gives good results.

With hydrocyanic dementia, hypnosuggestive therapy gives good results. In some cases, under the influence of hypnosis, it is possible to restore "lost" facts and events. Such techniques are also considered effective: solving riddles, puzzles, crossword puzzles, counting backwards, board games, etc.

Treatment for alcoholic amnesia

Sudden amnesia can occur after drinking alcohol without any restrictions, especially on an empty stomach. High-grade drinks in large doses lead to disruption of connections between brain cells. Ethanol enters the blood, there is a rapid intoxication of the whole organism, which leads to brain dysfunction. It is noticed that a small amount of alcohol does not lead to the loss of memories.

To get rid of alcoholic amnesia, preparations containing B vitamins are used (both in the form of injections and in the form of tablets). Under their influence, the nervous system is restored, energy metabolism is being established. To improve the metabolism of brain tissues and enhance blood circulation, vascular agents are prescribed in combination with nootropics. Patients should definitely include foods with vitamin B in the diet - liver, sprouted wheat grains, beans, nuts, etc.

Folk remedies

We suggest using proven remedies from the folk treasury for the treatment of amnesia in old age:

Honey with garlic. Divide half of the head of garlic into cloves, peel. Pound in a mortar, mix with 1 tbsp. a spoonful of honey, soak in a water bath for a minute. Take on an empty stomach once a day, one tablespoon.
Cahors with honey and aloe. Mix half a bottle of Cahors with 250 g of May honey and 150 ml of aloe (agave) juice. Pour into a dark glass container, seal tightly. Take 3 times a day, 20 ml before meals.
Infusion of walnut leaves. Pour 50 g of walnut leaves with a liter of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes. Use 4 times a day for 150 ml.
Decoction of rowan bark. 200 g of rowan bark pour 0.5 liters of boiling water, boil for 2 hours over low heat. Take 25 drops before meals.

The topic of amnesia is so moving that it has become a favorite for many directors. Movies about memory loss - "The Butterfly Effect", "Diary of Memory", "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", "Remember", etc. - are vivid proof of this. Pictures look interesting at any age, give inspiration, make you look at the problem from a different angle. Have you already seen these pictures?

Take care of memory and always remember that this is the most important element of personality. Good nutrition, intellectual and physical activity will help to keep it for a long time. A person should strive to make life bright and filled with positive at any age.

my mother is 84 years old, associated with the adoption of alcohol somewhere during

For 2-3 years, until we noticed, she suffers from Amnesia and became very restless, does not sleep well, sometimes very aggressive, can she be helped?

My mother's memory began to deteriorate significantly. She is 65 years old, and she has already said that she is old, does not remember anything, is no good.

One very good neurologist advised her to take a nootropic course. She took 500 mg capsules for 1.5 months, she began to remember everything much better, she even took up crossword puzzles.

Treatment of memory loss in the elderly

Memory loss in the elderly has many potential causes. These are age-related changes in the brain and diseases accumulated over the years that affect the central nervous activity, and diseases characteristic of old age.

Unlike at a young age, memory loss in older people, no matter how it is treated, will still occur. Don't expect full memory recovery. But complex treatment can improve it, stop the progression of deterioration, and also preserve the opportunity for an elderly person to have a relatively comfortable quality of life.

Therapeutic measures are aimed at the causes of memory impairment and improvement of conditions for the functioning of brain structures responsible for higher nervous activity.

Treatment of causes

In old age, pathologies accumulate that can potentially lead to dysfunction of higher nervous activity, including memory impairment. These are diseases that, one way or another, contribute to temporary or permanent circulatory disorders in the brain, hypoxia of its structures responsible for memory processes.

The main causes of memory loss in older people include:

If the foci of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke affect the frontal, temporal lobes, thalamus, hippocampus, then the risk of memory impairment is especially high.

Ischemic heart disease, heart failure often accompany old age. With these pathologies, the contractility of the heart suffers, the value of cardiac output decreases. Then the body redistributes the blood flow and the brain continues to receive a normal amount of blood due to the fact that tissues on the periphery (skin, intestines, limbs) receive less of it. But once this mechanism is exhausted. And the blood flow in the brain begins to suffer.

Hypertension is a frequent companion of old age. It not only leads to heart failure. The brain independently from the whole organism regulates the size of the lumen of the vessels. However, long-term hypertension leads to disruption of this regulation.

Important! To improve memory, it is necessary to achieve compensation for these pathologies. For this, blood pressure is monitored and corrected with medications, drugs that optimize the work of the heart.

Respiratory failure, which may accompany heart failure or be independent, leads to the fact that the composition of the blood flowing to the brain contains less oxygen. The elimination of the causes of the pathological condition of the lungs often occurs when the activity of the heart is compensated.

Atherosclerotic plaques in the lumen of blood vessels lead to a decrease in the lumen and to a restriction of blood flow to the brain. It is recommended to carry out anti-atherosclerotic therapy, normalization of blood cholesterol and lipid levels.

Varicose veins of the lower extremities are a source of small blood clots that can enter the brain and clog capillaries and larger vessels. Exclusion of small vessels from the bloodstream leads to microinfarcts of the brain, large and medium - to a life-threatening condition. Recommended treatment of varicose veins, the use of drugs that reduce blood viscosity.

In addition, memory loss in old age is due to a decrease in the number of neurons, as well as a weakening of the synaptic connections between them that conduct memory impulses.

It is believed that the disruption of the central nervous system in general and memory loss in old age, in particular, are a physiological pattern. Therefore, cerebroprotective drugs should be added to complex treatment. They are aimed at optimizing oxygen consumption and metabolism in neurons. This:

nootropics and neuroprotectors (Piracetam, Cerebrolysin).
drugs that act directly on memory function (Alzepil, Glycine, Ginko biloba preparations).
vasoactive (vascular) drugs that improve the condition of the vascular wall and its tone (Pentoxifylline, Trental).

The risk of developing Alzheimer's disease is higher in people whose relatives have had this pathology. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this factor.

Type 2 diabetes also contributes to memory impairment. It is necessary to control the level of blood sugar, its correction.

Abdominal obesity, hyperlipidemia contributes to the formation of memory impairment. Mandatory normalization of weight and treatment of obesity.

The risk of memory impairment, as well as other disorders of higher nervous activity, increases significantly with a combination of hypertension, heart failure, obesity, and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Often, memory impairment in the elderly leads to stress, misunderstanding, conflicts with others. In such cases, the patience and warmth of relatives will help, it is possible to consult a psychologist.

Memory and body training

It is believed that people engaged in mental work are less prone to memory impairment. Even when it worsens, they adapt much more easily to it. Therefore, in old age, various memory training is recommended in the form of solving conversations, listening to the radio, solving crossword puzzles, puzzles, reading, counting down.

Moderate physical activity leads to increased blood flow in the brain, improving blood oxygen saturation. With memory loss in the elderly, treatment should be comprehensive. It is aimed at reducing the manifestations of memory impairment, ensuring a relatively comfortable life for an elderly person within society.

Violation of memory and attention, the treatment of which is one of the urgent problems of medicine, can develop in both young and elderly people. Memory impairment in older people can be caused by both age-related changes and diseases that affect the activity of the nervous system. The neurology clinic of the Yusupov Hospital treats partial memory loss and other disorders using modern and effective techniques.

Memory problems: treatment and main symptoms of the disorder

A patient who complains to a neurologist about poor memory must undergo a diagnosis to identify the causes of the disorder. When a person's memory deteriorates, there is a lack of any memories for a certain period of time.

In addition, with forgetfulness, the patient can remember an event that happened a long time ago in great detail, but forget recent situations. These complaints are typical for elderly and senile people. It may also be difficult for the patient to remember current information: names of people, events, numbers, this symptom is alarming, as it may indicate serious disorders.

If there is forgetfulness in the young, as well as memory loss in the elderly, treatment should be started immediately to alleviate the symptoms and restore the ability to remember. In the neurology treatment clinic, patients are offered programs aimed at treating memory in people of different ages.

Bad memory: causes, treatment

If relatives note that there is a deterioration in memory in older people, treatment in this case should be started immediately with the establishment of the causes. Neurologists identify several causes of memory impairment:

bruises, injuries, hemorrhages, concussions lead to problems with remembering information;
in Alzheimer's disease, there is partial memory loss in the elderly, the treatment of this pathology is carried out by a neurologist;
epilepsy;
atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels;
brain tumors;
chemotherapy;
prolonged depression combined with insomnia;
imbalance of substances in the body due to diet and malnutrition (for example, iodine);
psychological factors, such as enthusiasm for something, the desire to forget about an unpleasant, traumatic event;
in a state of passion, memory loss may occur, for this reason the treatment is most effective;

When determining the causes of memory impairment, the doctor talks with the patient, conducts an examination to identify the alleged causes, after which he can prescribe a number of diagnostic methods. In the neurology clinic, various studies are performed to determine the presence of pathologies in the circulatory system and other factors that cause memory problems. After the diagnosis, the doctor selects a therapy program.

Treatment of memory loss in the elderly

Violations of memorization and storage of information most often disturb people in the elderly and senile age. Poor memory, the causes and treatment of which are established and developed by a neurologist, is a manifestation of dementia or dementia. People with this disease have difficulties in the professional and domestic spheres, as well as the elderly in the later stages of the disease need constant care.

The development of senile dementia is carried out over several years, if the problem can be detected at an early stage, then its treatment will be most effective. The neurology clinic successfully solves memory problems, treatment is developed individually for each patient, which contributes to the full or partial restoration of the ability to memorize and store information.

Bad memory: treatment of the disorder

With memory impairment in the elderly, the neurologist selects the treatment individually. There are non-drug and drug methods of memory treatment, the decision to use certain methods is made only by the attending physician based on the results of the studies. If short-term memory suffers, treatment begins with non-drug methods:

compliance with sleep and wakefulness;
frequent walks in the fresh air at a fast pace;
evening memories of the events of the day;
daily training: solving crosswords and puzzles;
learning new knowledge and skills.

If memory loss is diagnosed in the elderly, medical treatment is used to alleviate symptoms. Drugs to improve memory affect the process of blood supply to the brain, as a result of which more oxygen enters the cells of the brain tissue, and metabolic processes in neurons are accelerated. Medicines are allowed to be taken only as prescribed by a doctor.

If patients present with complaints of memory lapses in the elderly, treatment may include physiotherapy. In addition, psychological and pedagogical treatment is effective, in which the patient is taught the methods of memorization, their development, bringing to automatism. Memory impairment is not a disease, but rather an alarming symptom that indicates another disease.

Memory loss in the elderly, the treatment of which must be carried out under the supervision of a number of specialists, requires timely assistance. Contact a neurologist if you notice alarming symptoms in yourself or loved ones. In the clinic of the Yusupov Hospital, specialists carry out complex treatment of patients with forgetfulness, which makes it possible to achieve positive dynamics.

Memory impairment in the elderly: treatment at the Yusupov hospital

The Yusupov Hospital is a unique medical institution that employs only experienced specialists who improve their skills and apply innovative methods in their work. For many neurologists, the treatment of short-term memory disorders causes difficulty at the stage of selecting therapies. However, specialists of the neurology clinic successfully solve this problem.

The neurology clinic of the Yusupov hospital accepts patients with memory impairments, including those who have been rejected by other medical institutions. The clinic staff ensures a comfortable stay of the patient and timely informing him about the treatment plan. If there is a serious impairment of memory and attention, treatment is carried out in a hospital. Psychological assistance is also provided to relatives of patients.

If you or loved ones have memory loss, the causes and treatment will be determined by the neurologist of the clinic during the consultation and diagnostic measures. You can make an appointment and get detailed information about the services of the clinic by phone.

Bibliography

ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases)
Yusupov hospital
Badalyan L. O. Neuropathology. - M.: Enlightenment, 1982. - S.307-308.
Bogolyubov, Medical rehabilitation (manual, in 3 volumes). // Moscow - Perm. - 1998.
Popov S. N. Physical rehabilitation. 2005. - P.608.

Prices for the treatment of memory disorders in the elderly

*The information on the site is for informational purposes only. All materials and prices posted on the site are not a public offer, determined by the provisions of Art. 437 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. For exact information, please contact the clinic staff or visit our clinic. The list of paid services provided is indicated in the price list of the Yusupov hospital.