The brain began to think badly. What to do if sometimes I think badly, and how to increase the efficiency of the brain

The brain needs exercise

Innate abilities are just a basic set of inclinations of mental development, which is realized (or not realized) during life. The performance of the brain is determined by the number and strength of neural connections - the more there are, the better we think. Regular cognitive training allows you to keep your brain in good shape, cope with complex tasks more effectively and be more productive in work, study and life.

However, even regular development such as reading books, solving puzzles, and even learning a foreign language will not insure us that some days we are “stupid”.

Let us consider in more detail what happens to us at these moments.

What's stopping us?

Any mental activity begins with attention. Yes, we can perform any refined actions "on the machine", not turn on attention, but we cannot think effectively without high concentration and concentration. That is, the ability to concentrate attention affects the productivity of momentary work. At some point, we fail to do this - we are out of shape, too tired, hungry or angry - and this slows down the brain. We are quite capable of controlling external factors - to satisfy our hunger or thirst, to create a comfortable environment for work, after having a good night's sleep and resolving all conflicts.

But what if you have to work in uncomfortable conditions?

If we have no way to get rid of external hindrances - for example, a noisy room or an uninteresting task, then it will not be easy to activate attention. The ability to concentrate is a skill that can be trained. If you regularly practice “turning on attention” under different circumstances, it will be easier to concentrate even in uncomfortable conditions. The inclusion of attention also launches other cognitive functions, and the brain begins to “accelerate” and work to its fullest.

How to train?

You can develop the habit of regularly training attention, and at the same time all other cognitive functions of the brain, using online services. For example, which are compiled into a workout according to a specific algorithm. The personal program includes 2 simulators for attention in order to get involved in work - this is a warm-up. After the warm-up, the rest of the functions begin to train - attention and memory, depending on your abilities, which are determined during the introductory testing. Daily 15-minute workouts develop the habit of regularly turning on attention and pumping your cognitive functions to keep your brain in good shape. Over time, there will be less and less ineffective days, and the working capacity of the brain will be higher.

If nothing helps

But not only fatigue and external circumstances can be the causes of poor brain performance.

Lack of vitamins and minerals and malnutrition affect how we think. Food is the fuel and building material for the whole organism. The brain receives energy as a result of the breakdown of glucose, which is contained in "long" carbohydrates. Fish oil, in particular omega-3, helps improve communication between neurons. B vitamins are also responsible for the transmission of nerve impulses. Special analyzes and tests will help determine which elements you lack for productive work, so consult a doctor if your condition has been bothering you for a long time.

Memory disorders: why memory becomes poor, the norm and the relationship with diseases, treatment

Memory is an important function of our central nervous system to perceive the received information and store it in some invisible “cells” of the brain in reserve in order to retrieve and use it in the future. Memory is one of the most important abilities of a person’s mental activity, therefore the slightest violation of memory burdens him, he gets out of the usual rhythm of life, suffering himself and annoying those around him.

Memory impairment is most often perceived as one of the many clinical manifestations of some kind of neuropsychic or neurological pathology, although in other cases forgetfulness, absent-mindedness and poor memory are the only signs of a disease that no one pays attention to, believing that a person is such by nature .

The big mystery is human memory

Memory is a complex process that takes place in the central nervous system and involves the perception, accumulation, retention and reproduction of information received at different periods of time. Most of all, we think about the properties of our memory when we need to learn something new. The result of all the efforts made in the learning process depends on how someone manages to hook, hold, perceive what they see, hear or read, which is important when choosing a profession. From the point of view of biology, memory is short-term and long-term.

Information received in a glimpse or, as they say, “it flew in one ear, flew out of the other” is a short-term memory in which what is seen and heard is postponed for several minutes, but, as a rule, without meaning and content. So, the episode flashed by and disappeared. Short-term memory does not promise anything in advance, which is probably good, because otherwise a person would have to store all the information that he does not need at all.

However, with certain efforts of a person, information that has fallen into the zone of short-term memory, if you keep your eyes on it or listen and delve into it, will be transferred to long-term storage. This happens even beyond the will of a person, if some episodes are often repeated, have a special emotional significance, or occupy a separate place among other phenomena for various reasons.

Assessing their memory, some people claim that they have a short-term memory, because everything is remembered, assimilated, retold in a couple of days, and then just as quickly forgotten. This often happens when preparing for exams, when information is put aside only for the purpose of reproducing it to decorate a grade book. It should be noted that in such cases, turning again to this topic, when it becomes interesting, a person can easily restore seemingly lost knowledge. It is one thing to know and forget, and another to not receive information. And here everything is simple - the acquired knowledge without much human effort was transformed into departments of long-term memory.

Long-term memory analyzes, structures, creates volume and purposefully postpones everything for future use indefinitely. Everything is kept in long-term memory. Memorization mechanisms are very complex, but we are so used to them that we perceive them as natural and simple things. However, we note that for the successful implementation of the learning process, in addition to memory, it is important to have attention, that is, to be able to concentrate on the right subjects.

It is common for a person to forget past events after a while, if they do not periodically extract their knowledge in order to use them, therefore, the inability to remember something is not always to be attributed to memory impairment. Each of us has experienced the feeling when "it is spinning in the head, but does not come to mind", but this does not mean that serious disorders have occurred in the memory.

Why do memory lapses happen?

The causes of impaired memory and attention in adults and children may be different. If a child with congenital mental retardation immediately has learning problems, then he will already come to adulthood with these disorders. Children and adults can react differently to the environment: the child's psyche is more tender, so it takes stress harder. In addition, adults have long studied what the child is still trying to master.

Sadly, the trend towards the use of alcoholic beverages and drugs by adolescents, and even young children left without parental supervision, has become frightening: cases of poisoning are not so rarely recorded in the reports of law enforcement agencies and medical institutions. But for the child's brain, alcohol is the strongest poison that has an extremely negative effect on memory.

True, some pathological conditions that often cause absent-mindedness and poor memory in adults are usually excluded in children (Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis, osteochondrosis).

Causes of memory impairment in children

Thus, the causes of impaired memory and attention in children can be considered:

Lack of vitamins,;
Asthenia;
Frequent viral infections;
Traumatic brain injury;
Stressful situations (dysfunctional family, despotism of parents, problems in the team that the child attends);
Poor eyesight;
Mental disorder;
Poisoning, alcohol and drug use;
Congenital pathology, in which mental retardation is programmed (Down syndrome, etc.) or other (whatever) conditions (lack of vitamins or trace elements, the use of certain drugs, a change not for the better metabolic processes), contributing to the formation of attention deficit disorder, which, as you know, does not improve memory.

Causes of problems in adults

In adults, the reason that has become a bad memory, absent-mindedness and inability to concentrate for a long time, are various diseases acquired in the process of life:

Stress, psycho-emotional stress, chronic fatigue both souls and bodies;
Acute and chronic;
Discirculatory;
cervical spine;
Traumatic brain injury;
Metabolic disorders;
Hormonal imbalance;
GM tumors;
Mental disorders (depression, schizophrenia and many others).

Of course, anemia of various origins, lack of trace elements, diabetes mellitus and other numerous somatic pathologies lead to impaired memory and attention, contribute to the appearance of forgetfulness and absent-mindedness.

What are the types of memory disorders? Among them are dysmnesia(hypermnesia, hypomnesia, amnesia) - changes in memory itself, and paramnesia- distortion of memories, to which the patient's personal fantasies are added. By the way, some of them, on the contrary, are considered by others to be rather a phenomenal memory than its violation. True, experts may have a slightly different opinion on this matter.

Dysmnesia

Phenomenal memory or mental disorder?

Hypermnesia- with such a violation, people remember and perceive quickly, information set aside many years ago for no reason pops up in memory, “rolls”, returns to the past, which does not always cause positive emotions. A person himself does not know why he needs to keep everything in his head, however, he can reproduce some long-past events to the smallest detail. For example, an elderly person can easily describe in detail (up to the teacher's clothes) individual lessons at school, retell the lithmontage of a pioneer gathering, it is not difficult for him to remember other details related to studying at the institute, professional activities or family events.

Hypermnesia, present in a healthy person in the absence of other clinical manifestations, is not considered a disease, rather, on the contrary, this is exactly the case when they talk about phenomenal memory, although from the point of view of psychology, phenomenal memory is a slightly different phenomenon. People with this phenomenon are able to memorize and reproduce huge amounts of information that is not connected with any special meaning. These can be large numbers, sets of individual words, lists of objects, notes. Such a memory is often possessed by great writers, musicians, mathematicians and people of other professions that require genius abilities. Meanwhile, hypermnesia in a healthy person who does not belong to the cohort of geniuses, but has a high intelligence quotient (IQ), is not such a rare occurrence.

As one of the symptoms of pathological conditions, memory impairment in the form of hypermnesia occurs:

With paroxysmal mental disorders (epilepsy);
With intoxication with psychoactive substances (psychotropic drugs, narcotic drugs);
In the case of hypomania - a condition similar to mania, but not up to it in terms of the severity of the course. Patients may experience a surge of energy, increased vitality, and ability to work. With hypomania, a violation of memory and attention is often combined (disinhibition, instability, inability to concentrate).

It is obvious that only a specialist can understand such subtleties, distinguish between the norm and pathology. Most of us are average representatives of the human population, to whom "nothing human is alien", but at the same time they do not turn the world upside down. From time to time (not every year and not in every locality) geniuses appear, they are not always immediately noticeable, because often such individuals are considered simply eccentrics. And, finally, (perhaps not often?) among the various pathological conditions there are mental illnesses that require correction and complex treatment.

bad memory

Hypomnesia- this type is usually expressed in two words: "bad memory."

Forgetfulness, absent-mindedness and poor memory are observed with asthenic syndrome, which, in addition to memory problems, is also characterized by other symptoms:

Increased fatigue.
Nervousness, irritability with or without it, bad mood.
Meteorological dependence.
during the day and insomnia at night.
BP drops, .
Tides and others.
, weakness.

Asthenic syndrome, as a rule, forms another pathology, for example:

Arterial hypertension.
Postponed traumatic brain injury (TBI).
atherosclerotic process.
The initial stage of schizophrenia.

The cause of impaired memory and attention according to the type of hypomnesia can be various depressive states (you can’t count everyone), menopausal syndrome that occurs with an adaptation disorder, organic brain damage (severe TBI, epilepsy, tumors). In such situations, as a rule, in addition to hypomnesia, the symptoms listed above are also present.

"I remember here - I don't remember here"

At amnesia not the whole memory falls out, but its individual fragments. As an example of this type of amnesia, one would like to recall the film by Alexander Gray "Gentlemen of Fortune" - "I remember here - I don't remember here."

However, not all amnesias look like in the famous motion picture, there are more serious cases when memory is lost significantly and for a long time or forever, therefore, several types of such memory impairments (amnesia) are distinguished:

A special type of memory loss that cannot be managed is progressive amnesia, representing a sequential loss of memory from the present to the past. The reason for the destruction of memory in such cases is organic atrophy of the brain, which occurs during Alzheimer's disease And . Such patients do not reproduce memory traces well (speech disorders), for example, they forget the names of household items that they use daily (plate, chair, clock), but at the same time they know what they are intended for (amnestic aphasia). In other cases, the patient simply does not recognize the thing (sensory aphasia) or does not know what it is for (semantic aphasia). However, one should not confuse the habits of “radical” owners to find a use for everything that is in the house, even if it is intended for completely different purposes (you can make a beautiful dish or stand out of a used kitchen clock in the form of a plate).

This is what you need to figure out!

Paramnesia (distortion of memories) also referred to as memory disorders, and among them are the following types:

Confabulation, in which fragments of one’s own memory disappear, and their place is taken by stories invented by the patient and presented to them “in all seriousness”, since he himself believes in what he is talking about. Patients talk about their exploits, unprecedented achievements in life and work, and even sometimes about crimes.
pseudo-reminiscence- the replacement of one memory with another event that actually took place in the patient's life, only at a completely different time and under different circumstances (Korsakov's syndrome).
Cryptomnesia when patients, having received information from various sources (books, movies, stories of other people), pass it off as events they experienced. In a word, patients, due to pathological changes, go to involuntary plagiarism, which is characteristic of delusional ideas found in organic disorders.
Echomnesia- a person feels (quite sincerely) that this event has already happened to him (or did he see it in a dream?). Of course, such thoughts sometimes visit a healthy person, but the difference is that patients attach special significance to such phenomena (“go in cycles”), while healthy people simply quickly forget about it.
Polympsest- this symptom exists in two versions: short-term memory lapses associated with pathological alcohol intoxication (episodes of the past day are confused with long-past events), and the combination of two different events of the same period of time, in the end, the patient himself does not know what happened In fact.

As a rule, these symptoms in pathological conditions are accompanied by other clinical manifestations, therefore, having noticed signs of “déjà vu” in oneself, there is no need to rush to make a diagnosis - this also happens in healthy people.

Decreased concentration affects memory

To violations of memory and attention, the loss of the ability to focus on specific objects include the following pathological conditions:

Attention instability- a person is constantly distracted, jumping from one subject to another (disinhibition syndrome in children, hypomania, hebephrenia - a mental disorder that develops as a form of schizophrenia in adolescence);
Rigidity (slow switching) from one topic to another - this symptom is very typical for epilepsy (those who communicated with such people know that the patient is constantly “stuck”, which makes it difficult to conduct a dialogue);
Lack of concentration- they say about such people: “That’s what a distracted one from Basseinaya Street!”, That is, absent-mindedness and poor memory in such cases are often perceived as features of temperament and behavior, which, in principle, often corresponds to reality.

Undoubtedly a decrease in concentration of attention, in particular, will adversely affect the entire process of memorizing and storing information, that is, on the state of memory as a whole.

Children forget faster

As for children, all these gross, permanent memory impairments, characteristic of adults and, especially, the elderly, are very rarely noted in childhood. Memory problems that arise due to congenital features require correction and, with a skillful approach (as far as possible), may recede a little. There are many cases when the efforts of parents and teachers literally worked wonders for Down syndrome and other types of congenital mental retardation, but here the approach is individual and dependent on different circumstances.

Another thing is if the baby was born healthy, and the problems appeared as a result of the troubles suffered. So here a child can expect a slightly different reaction to different situations:

Amnesia in children in most cases, it manifests itself as memory lapses in relation to individual memories of episodes that occurred during the period of clouding of consciousness associated with unpleasant events (poisoning, coma, trauma) - it is not in vain that they say that children quickly forget;
Alcoholization of adolescence also proceeds differently than in adults - the absence of memories ( polympsests) on events occurring during intoxication, appears already in the first stages of drunkenness, without waiting for a diagnosis (alcoholism);
retrograde amnesia in children, as a rule, it affects a short period of time before an injury or illness, and its severity is not as clear as in adults, that is, memory loss in a child can not always be noticed.

Most often in children and adolescents there is a memory impairment of the type of dysmnesia, which is manifested by a weakening of the ability to remember, store (retention) and reproduce (reproduction) the information received. Disorders of this type are more noticeable in school-age children, as they affect school performance, adaptation in a team, and behavior in everyday life.

In children attending preschool institutions, symptoms of dysmnesia are problems with memorizing rhymes, songs, children cannot participate in children's matinees and holidays. Despite the fact that the kid visits kindergarten all the time, every time he comes there, he cannot find his own locker to change clothes, among other items (toys, clothes, towels) it is difficult for him to find his own. Dysmnestic disorders are also noticeable at home: the child cannot tell what happened in the garden, forgets the names of other children, each time he reads fairy tales he perceives as if he hears them for the first time, he does not remember the names of the main characters.

Transient disturbances of memory and attention, along with fatigue, drowsiness and all sorts of autonomic disorders, are often observed in schoolchildren with various etiologies.

Before treatment

Before treating the symptoms of memory impairment, it is necessary to make a correct diagnosis and find out what causes the patient's problems. To do this, you need to get as much information about his health:

What diseases does he suffer from? Perhaps it will be possible to trace the connection between the existing pathology (or transferred in the past) with the deterioration of intellectual abilities;
Does he have a pathology that directly leads to memory impairment: dementia, cerebrovascular insufficiency, TBI (history), chronic alcoholism, drug disorders?
What medications does the patient take and is memory impairment related to the use of medications? Some groups of pharmaceuticals, for example, benzodiazepines, among the side effects, have such disorders, which, however, are reversible.

In addition, in the process of diagnostic search, it can be very useful to identify metabolic disorders, hormonal imbalance, deficiency of trace elements and vitamins.

In most cases, when looking for the causes of memory impairment, they resort to methods neuroimaging(CT, MRI, EEG, PET, etc.), which help to detect a brain tumor or hydrocephalus and, at the same time, to differentiate a vascular brain lesion from a degenerative one.

The need for neuroimaging methods also arises because memory impairment at first may be the only symptom of a serious pathology. Unfortunately, the greatest difficulties in diagnosis are depressive states, forcing in other cases to prescribe a trial antidepressant treatment (to find out if there is depression or not).

Treatment and correction

The normal aging process itself involves some decline in intellectual abilities: forgetfulness appears, memorization is not so easy, concentration of attention drops, especially if the neck is “squeezed” or pressure rises, however, such symptoms do not significantly affect the quality of life and behavior in everyday life. Older people who adequately assess their age learn to remind themselves (and quickly remember) about current affairs.

In addition, many do not neglect pharmaceutical treatment to improve memory.

Now there are a number of drugs that can improve brain function and even help with tasks that require significant intellectual effort. First of all, these are (piracetam, phezam, vinpocetine, cerebrolysin, cinnarizine, etc.).

Nootropics are indicated for elderly people who have certain age-related problems that are not yet noticeable to others. The drugs of this group are suitable for improving memory in violation of cerebral circulation caused by other pathological conditions of the brain and vascular system. By the way, many of these drugs are successfully used in pediatric practice.

However, nootropics are a symptomatic treatment, and in order to obtain the proper effect, one must strive for an etiotropic one.

As for Alzheimer's disease, tumors, mental disorders, here the approach to treatment should be very specific - depending on the pathological changes and the reasons that led to them. There is no single prescription for all cases, so there is nothing to advise patients. You just need to contact a doctor, who, perhaps, before prescribing drugs to improve memory, will send for an additional examination.

Difficult in adults and the correction of disorders of mental activity. Patients with poor memory, under the supervision of an instructor, memorize verses, solve crossword puzzles, practice solving logical problems, however, training, bringing some success (the severity of mnestic disorders seems to have decreased), still do not give particularly significant results.

Correction of memory and attention in children, in addition to treatment with the help of various groups of pharmaceuticals, provides for classes with a psychologist, exercises for the development of memory (poems, drawings, tasks). Of course, the children's psyche is more mobile and better amenable to correction, unlike the adult psyche. Children have the prospect of progressive development, while in older people only the opposite effect progresses.

Video: bad memory - expert opinion

According to statistics, in recent years, every third patient has been diagnosed with vegetative-vascular dystonia syndrome (VVD).

Apathy, drowsiness, depression, headaches and dizziness, nausea, decreased memory and attention - all these are symptoms of VVD.

Photo bank: Depositphotos

Another terrible manifestation is a violation of cerebral circulation, leading to such a serious disease as a stroke, which ranks second among the causes of death in Russians.

In autumn, VVD worsens, like all chronic diseases. This is due to the fact that the body of even a healthy person reacts negatively to temperature changes, shortening of daylight hours, jumps in atmospheric pressure, disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field, which become more frequent at this time of the year. The population of large cities suffers most of all with their frantic rhythm, unceasing noise, poor ecology... The provoking factor is the increase in workload, stress at work or school. Therefore, office employees are especially hard to endure VVD against the background of psychological maladjustment after the holiday season: it is difficult to get involved in work. As a result, the symptoms become more pronounced, the state of health worsens, memory and vitality decrease.

Doctor's comment

The psychotherapist of the clinic "Asteri-Med" Gennady Nikolaevich Mironychev comments on the problem of VVD: "At present, the term" vegetovascular dystonia "is not generally accepted, although at one time it was very popular. In the international classification of diseases (ICD-10), adopted in Russia, for a violation of the function of the autonomic system, there is the term "somatoform autonomic dysfunction", which can be localized in any functional system of the body and any human organ, therefore, seasonal exacerbation is an increase in the queue to doctors almost all specialties. But most often they go to neurologists, since most of the complaints are still about pain in the head and a decrease in mental performance. The statistics are frightening: up to 80% of the world's population suffers from one or another manifestation of VVD, and almost a third of them need qualified medical care. It is noteworthy that women are more susceptible to the disease than men. Of course, there are many risk factors in our difficult time ... Competition in all spheres of life, tight deadlines, constant haste, multitasking - all this causes neurosis and stress, providing fertile ground for the emergence of various diseases in humans. We can say that VVD is a disease of civilization, the scourge of modern humanity, retribution for the mind, career and material benefits that are so hard for us to get. The seriousness of this insidious disease should not be underestimated: with age, fluctuations in blood pressure will be more pronounced, occur for a minor reason, fainting will become a common occurrence - in a word, the disease will be more difficult and painful to endure. It is important to remember that people with such a disease must be observed by a neurologist who prescribes special drugs to normalize blood circulation and metabolic processes in the brain, such as, for example, Vasobral. Such drugs improve brain metabolism, emotional state, memory and concentration, have a vasodilating effect without affecting blood pressure, which is important for hypertensive patients, have anti-asthenic and mild antidepressant properties.

Eliminate symptoms

How to keep healthy? What to do during periods of exacerbation? How to avoid problems at work, at a university or school, so that your head does not fail at the most crucial moment? A reasonable daily routine and a healthy eight-hour sleep will help minimize or even eliminate the symptoms of VVD. Lack of sleep is absolutely contraindicated. Proper nutrition, rich in macro / microelements, vitamins, fiber and other useful substances, provides a supply of strength and energy: any diet is prohibited with VVD. Don't underestimate the importance of exercise, whether it's jogging, cycling, or just walking your dog. After all, it is a sedentary lifestyle (sedentary work, watching TV, “hanging out” on social networks) that can provoke a violation of cerebral circulation and aggravate the disease. It is not necessary to explain the need to abandon bad habits.

Doing special exercises

In addition to drug therapy, doctors recommend a set of special exercises for the whole family in order to eliminate the symptoms of VVD. The exercise is performed from a sitting position, you need to cross your legs and take a deep breath for 1-2 seconds. This is followed by forward bending of the torso and pressing on the knees. Initial position. Again take a deep breath and hold the breath, then lean back as far as possible. This exercise should be repeated 10 times in each direction.

And the most important thing…

Vegetative-vascular dystonia is not a death sentence, but a reason to change your lifestyle, reconsider your attitude towards yourself and your health. And remember, the common expression “all diseases are from nerves” in this case is 100% justified.

If “Unclear head”, “Turbid head” is the feeling with which you get up and lie down, and if increased irritability, fatigue and poor sleep are added to this, most likely, we are talking about astheno-neurotic syndrome.

Main symptoms: A lot of people complain about “fog in the head”, “head like cotton wool”, “unclear head” and similar symptoms.

If you notice overwork, sleep disturbance, constant irritability, then you may have a mental disorder called astheno-neurotic syndrome.

Prevalence: This disease is one of the most widespread "diseases of civilization". It is often referred to as the "management flu".

The disease affects people who are educated and prosperous. The most characteristic age is from 20 to 40 years. These are entrepreneurs, managers, doctors, teachers. In a special risk group are people whose work is associated with increased responsibility, for example, air traffic controllers.

In the past, astheno-neurotic syndrome was called "nervous exhaustion"

Also at risk are creative individuals.

Causes of occurrence: The main causes of occurrence are stress, prolonged nervous excitement, chronic lack of sleep, constant overwork. Also, factors contributing to the emergence of astheno-neurotic syndrome are past diseases, including colds, some viruses, poisoning, and poor environmental conditions.

Similar symptoms: What diseases can manifest themselves as “head in a fog”, poor sleep, weakness and irritability, except for neurasthenia? First of all, these are asthenic conditions with incipient serious illnesses. In the second - masked depression, which at the beginning can easily be confused with astheno-neurotic syndrome. And chronic fatigue syndrome can manifest itself in a similar way.

So the correct diagnosis can only be made by a psychotherapist or psychiatrist. To make a diagnosis, professional psychological diagnostics (psychotests) are usually used, which you can go through on your own (following this link).

How the disease develops: The syndrome occurs gradually, with a combination of emotional and physical overstrain, constant fatigue. Most often, patients complain of a breakdown, general weakness, increased irritability, "fog" in the head, inability to cope with the usual amount of work.

If a person continues to be stressed further and does not seek medical help, his condition worsens - tearfulness, complaints about the heart, fog in the head join the usual set of complaints about a "cotton" head. Irritability increases to an extreme degree, but irritation is quickly replaced by weakness. Sleep is usually unstable, does not bring a feeling of rest, after sleep the head is “like cotton wool”. Appetite worsens, constipation or diarrhea may disturb. Sexual desire decreases in both men and women. The condition worsens before a change in the weather (the so-called "weather sensitivity"). In the absence of treatment at this stage, apathy, lethargy, severe weakness and a persistent decrease in mood follow. Interest in life is reduced, the patient thinks only about his painful condition, about his "obscure" head.

Left untreated, psychotic disorders can develop.

Treatment: The prospects for treatment are positive, usually psychotherapeutic methods give excellent results up to a complete cure. In severe cases, a combination of psychotherapy with psychopharmacotherapy is used.

Self-medication usually worsens the condition and leads to the progression of the disease.

At the initial stage of the disease, a psychotherapist, in order to make a correct diagnosis, needs to exclude all diseases in which similar symptoms appear, because the more accurate the diagnosis, the more successful the treatment will be.

Different diseases with similar symptoms need to be treated differently. Therefore, it is necessary to consult a psychotherapist. A good psychotherapist selects therapy that is appropriate for the specific manifestations of the disease and the individual characteristics of each patient.

Astheno-neurotic syndrome is one of the most common "diseases of civilization". It is often referred to as the "management flu".

The treatment of the syndrome depends on the severity of the painful symptoms, but is primarily aimed at eliminating psychotraumatic factors. It is necessary to reduce both mental and physical stress. This is the most important condition for treatment, without such measures it will not be possible to defeat the disease. In the early stages of the development of the disease, normalization of the rhythm of life, elimination of stress and psychotherapy may be enough to significantly improve the state of health. And, of course, at this stage, psychotherapy methods that do not use drugs give a very good effect - cognitive-behavioral, psychoanalysis, group psychotherapy methods are very effective.

In any case, you need to contact a psychotherapist.

In more advanced cases, additional psychopharmacotherapy may be required. General tonic drugs, tranquilizers, if necessary, sleeping pills and antidepressants are used. Psychotherapy is also actively used in the treatment of advanced astheno-neurotic syndrome.

The first indicator of improvement is the normalization of sleep and the disappearance of the feeling of "fog" in the head. With timely prescribed treatment, the problem can usually be completely overcome, however, if the tense situation and stress at work and in personal life continue to persist, various complications are possible.

Terminology and other names: In the past, astheno-neurotic syndrome, together with diseases of similar symptoms, was called "nervous exhaustion".

In modern psychiatry, the term "neurasthenia" is more often used to refer to neuro-asthenic syndrome (synonyms). In the everyday sense, neurasthenia is usually perceived as a painfully nervous, unbalanced state, characteristic of weak-willed people, easily amenable to various influences and moods, in a state of acute mental crisis. And in the medical sense, this is a state of depression, irritability, "a vague head."

There is such a thing as super memory, when a person is able to remember even the smallest details of what they saw or heard, everything they had ever dealt with.

In serious publications and official reference books, memory is called, first of all, not only a physiological phenomenon, but also a cultural one, the ability to store and accumulate life experience. It is divided into two categories: short-term and long-term, and their ratio varies significantly for each person. For example, if you are the owner of a long-term memory, then, most likely, remembering the material will not be easy for you, however, after years you will easily reproduce it. If the opposite is true, then you will remember everything you need, literally instantly, but after a week you won’t even remember what you once knew.

Causes of memory impairment.

To make them easier to understand, the causes of memory impairment were divided into several components:

Those associated with brain damage, such as traumatic brain injury, its oncological diseases and stroke;
Associated with the deterioration of the performance of other equally important organs;
Other adverse factors, such as sleep disturbance, constant stress, a sudden transition to a different lifestyle, increased stress on the brain, especially on memory.
Chronic abuse of alcohol, tobacco smoking, sedative drugs and hard drugs.
Changes associated with age.

Treatment of memory impairment in adults.

A person lives and does not even think about memory until he encounters a deterioration in memory, for example, forgetfulness and poor perception of information, a decrease in the volume of perception. Any minor process can put a bullet in your memory.

There are a lot of types of our memory: there are visual, motor, auditory and others. Someone remembers well if he hears the material, and someone if he sees it. It is easier for someone to write and remember, and for someone to imagine. This is how our memory is different.

Our brain is divided into zones, each of which is responsible for some function. For example, for hearing and speech - temporal regions, for vision and spatial perception - occipito-parietal, for movements of the hands and speech apparatus - lower parietal. There is such a disease - astereognosia, which occurs when the lower parietal region is damaged. With its development, a person ceases to feel objects.

It is now scientifically established that hormones play an important role in the processes of our thinking and memory. Estrogen, testosterone and other components improve learning, assimilation of new material, memory development, while oxytocin acts the other way around.

Diseases leading to memory impairment.

Memory problems arise on the basis of various diseases. For example, most often the culprits are traumatic brain injuries, because of which there are constantly complaints of memory impairment, and this depends on the severity of the injury. Also, with craniocerebral injuries, various kinds of amnesia occur: retrograde and anterograde. At the same time, the victim does not remember how he received this injury, nor what happened before. It happens that all this is accompanied by hallucinations and confabulations, that is, false memories that have settled in the human brain and were invented by him. That is, for example, when asked what he did the day before yesterday, the patient will say that he was at the opera, walked the dog, but in fact he was in the hospital all this time, because he was very sick. Hallucinations are images of something that does not exist.

One of the most common causes of impaired memory functionality is impaired blood circulation in the brain. With vascular atherosclerosis, there is a decrease in blood flow to all parts of the brain, which is the main provocateur of the development of acute cerebrovascular accident. Any type of stroke develops in the areas of the brain, and therefore the blood flow to it completely stops, which greatly disrupts their functioning.

Similar symptoms of memory impairment are also manifested in diabetes mellitus, one of the complications of which is damage to blood vessels, their thickening and closure. All these factors further lead to damage not only to the brain, but also to other important organs.

Such well-known diseases as inflammation of the membranes of the brain - meningitis and inflammation of the substance of the brain - encephalitis, are reflected in the entire work of this organ. And they arise due to damage to the nervous system by various viruses and bacteria. It is good that these diseases are curable with timely treatment to the hospital.

True, this cannot be said about diseases that are inherited, one of which is Alzheimer's disease. Most often, it occurs in elderly people and is characterized by a decrease in intelligence and memory loss up to a loss of orientation in the area. It begins imperceptibly, but as soon as you notice that memory is deteriorating and attention has begun to decline, consult a doctor, because it may be just her. A person does not remember recent events, begins to dream of the past, becomes a difficult and selfish person, apathy reigns over him. If he is not provided with the necessary treatment, then he will completely lose his bearings, will not recognize his family, and will not even be able to pronounce what date it is today. According to medical research, it has been established that Alzheimer's is mainly inherited. It is not curable, but if the patient is provided with the necessary treatment and care, then its process will proceed without consequences and complications, quietly and smoothly.

Memory impairment can also be due to a disease. thyroid gland, that is, due to a lack of iodine in the body. A person will have a tendency to be overweight, apathy, depression, irritability and muscle swelling. To avoid this, you need to eat right, eat more iodine-containing foods, seafood, persimmon, seaweed, hard cheese and, of course, dairy products and nuts.

But forgetfulness should not always be equated with memory diseases, because sometimes a person consciously wants and tries to forget the difficult moments of his life, unpleasant and tragic events. This is a kind of human protection, and this should not be scared.

When a person displaces unpleasant facts from his memory, this is repression, when he believes that nothing happened, this is denial, and when he takes out his negative emotions on another object, this is substitution, and all these are the main mechanisms for protecting the human mind. For example, after troubles at work, the husband comes home and takes out his irritability and anger on his beloved wife. To consider such cases as memory problems is possible only when it happens constantly, day after day. In addition, the forgotten negative emotions that you did not express, but suppressed in yourself, will eventually turn into neurosis and long-term depression.

Treatment of memory impairment.

Before you begin to treat memory impairment, you must first understand what disease caused this process. It is advisable to use drugs only as prescribed by a doctor, but no matter how independently.

Physiotherapeutic methods can be used, for example, electrophoresis with the introduction of a glutamic acid preparation through the nose.

For patients with memory impairment, psychological and pedagogical treatment is also successfully used. The teacher helps and teaches the patient to memorize again, while only healthy areas of the brain are involved in the process. For example, if the patient cannot remember the phrases spoken aloud, then if he mentally imagines this image, he will be able to remember at least the whole text. True, this is a very long and laborious process, work on oneself, which involves not only memorizing with the help of other possibilities, but also bringing this technique to automatism, when the patient will no longer think about how to do it.

A sharp deterioration in memory is not a disease at all, but a warning symptom that indicates that you have another, more serious disease that should be identified and treated. Moreover, it prevents a person from living a full life and separates him from society, worsens adaptive properties and functions.

If you have been diagnosed with memory impairment, then doctors will most likely prescribe you nootropic drugs that you will take. For example, a drug from a new series of drugs belonging to the group of nootropics - Noopept. It contains the most important amino acids for the human body - dipeptides, which, by acting on the neurons of the cerebral cortex, help restore memory and improve concentration. This drug acts on all stages of memory recovery and improvement: on the initial processing of information, its generalization and extraction. It also increases the resistance of the human body to such damaging factors as alcohol, drugs, tobacco, head injuries and various injuries.

Which doctor to contact in case of memory impairment.

If you notice in yourself or your loved ones symptoms of memory impairment similar to those described above, then you should contact a neurologist, neuropsychologist or therapist who will conduct special examinations. If you do not want to wait for a doctor's verdict, then you can start acting on your own. It has long been known that the main cause of complaints is not a violation of memory, but the usual lack of due attention, when the information conveyed is remembered fleetingly and is not taken seriously. Such manifestations of inattention are usually characteristic of already elderly people, although, of course, they also occur in young people. To overcome this syndrome, you need to constantly work on yourself and train, focusing your attention on important details, writing down events, keeping a diary and learning how to do mental calculations.

This method is very popular and is literally described in the book of the American professor Lawrence Katz. According to him, these techniques activate the work of all parts of the brain, develop memory, attention and creativity.

Here are some of the exercises in the book:

Habitual things should be done with closed eyes, not with open ones;
If you are left-handed, then do everything with your right hand, if you are right-handed, then vice versa, for example, if you wrote, brushed your teeth, stroked, drew with your left hand, then start doing it with your right hand, we assure you, you will immediately feel the result;
Learn Braille, that is, a reading system for the blind, or learn the basics of sign language - this will come in handy;
Type on the keyboard with all fingers of both hands;
Learn some kind of needlework, such as knitting or embroidery;
Speak in unknown languages and learn them as much as possible;
Distinguish coins by touch and determine their value;
Read about things you've never been interested in.
Go to new places, institutions, theaters, parks, meet new people, communicate more.

That's basically all you need to know about the insidious memory impairment, treatment and symptoms of this disease. Follow these rules, know how to improve your memory and be healthy!

Memory impairment 🎥

It is difficult to say what is the norm in relation to memory. This is individual for each person. There is no upper bound for memory. There are descriptions of super memory, where a person remembers the smallest details of everything he encounters, but this is rare.

In official sources, memory is defined as the ability to receive, store and reproduce life experience. This is not only a physiological, but also a cultural process.

Memory is divided into long-term and short-term. Their ratio varies from person to person. If your long-term memory predominates, then most likely you have difficulty remembering the material, but you can easily reproduce it after a significant period of time. If, on the contrary, you quickly, “on the fly” memorize, then, probably, you quickly forget. This is a feature of short-term memory. Working memory allows you to remember information up to a certain point.

A person takes memory for granted until he encounters the problem of forgetfulness. There are many types of memory impairment, and many factors influence this process.

Causes of memory impairment

For simplicity, you can divide them into groups.

1) Associated directly with brain damage. These include such lesions as traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke (acute cerebrovascular accident), Oncological diseases of the brain.

2) Deterioration of brain function due to diseases of other organs and organ systems.

3) External adverse factors such as lack of sleep, stressful situations, abrupt change living conditions, increased stress on the brain, including memory.

4) Chronic intoxication. The abuse of alcohol, drugs (especially tranquilizers, sedatives), smoking, and drug addiction lead to memory impairment.

5) Age-related changes in the brain.

Memory is associated with different modalities. There are visual, auditory, motor modalities. Their combination and predominance is individual. Someone will remember more easily if they say the material out loud. It is easier for another to remember what the page looks like on which the necessary information is written or imagine the drawers of the filing cabinet where he supposedly put the necessary file. A third person will easily remember information with the help of a logical scheme or an associative connection. The fourth will write a summary.

Different areas of the brain are associated with different memory-promoting functions. For example, the temporal regions are responsible for the perception of hearing and speech. The occipital-parietal regions create visual and spatial perception, and the departments of the right hemisphere give color, optical-spatial and facial perceptions, and the left hemisphere - letter and object. The lower parietal regions are responsible for the actions of the hand and the speech apparatus. With their defeat, a person cannot recognize objects by touch (astereognosia).

And depending on which area of the brain is affected, the corresponding types of memory will be impaired.

IN Lately there is more and more reliable information about the effect of hormones on the processes of thinking and memory. There is a positive effect of vasopressin, testosterone, estrogen, prolactin on the acceleration of learning, stimulation of attention, the transition of information from short-term memory to long-term memory. Oxytocin, on the other hand, has the opposite effect, this is due to memory impairment, forgetfulness in women after childbirth and while breastfeeding.

Diseases that lead to memory impairment

Consider the diseases in which memory problems are most often noted.

First of all, as the most frequent, these are craniocerebral injuries. With them, almost always there are complaints of memory impairment, and the more so, the more serious the injury. TBI is also characterized by the phenomena of retrograde and anterograde amnesia. In this case, the person does not remember not only the moment of injury, but also the events preceding and following it. Sometimes confabulations and hallucinations appear against this background. Confabulations are false memories produced by the person themselves. For example, when asked about what he did yesterday, the patient will tell that he went to the theater, walked in the park and ate ice cream. In fact, he did not leave the apartment or the ward, as he had been ill for a long time. Hallucinations are pathological images that did not exist and could not exist.

A fairly common cause of memory impairment is a violation of the blood circulation of the brain. Atherosclerosis of the cerebral vessels causes a decrease in blood flow to all parts of the brain and disruption of its work, including memory impairment. Recently, atherosclerosis has become a common cause of memory impairment in young people, although previously it was detected mainly in the elderly. In addition, it is a provoking factor in the development of acute cerebrovascular accident. A brain stroke develops in one or another area of the brain, stopping the access to it of blood almost completely. This grossly violates the functions of these zones and memory among them.

Similar symptoms can be observed in diabetes mellitus. One of its formidable complications is angiopathy - vascular damage, in which there is a thickening of the walls of the vessels and the closure of small vessels. This leads to impaired blood circulation in all organs, including the brain, and as a result, memory deteriorates.

Memory impairment may be the first sign of thyroid disease associated with a lack of production of its hormones (hypothyroidism). The latter are 65% iodine. Memory loss in this case is combined with an increase in body weight, the appearance of depression, apathy, edema, muscle weakness, and irritability. To prevent iodine deficiency, first of all, the diet should be adjusted by adding foods such as iodized salt and dairy products (the latter are preferable), seaweed and sea fish, persimmons, hard cheese and nuts.

Meningitis (inflammation of the membranes of the brain) and encephalitis (inflammation of the substance of the brain) leave an imprint on the work of the entire organ as a whole. Most often, they are caused by neurotropic - bacteria and viruses that affect the nervous system. Fortunately, these diseases are well treated with timely access to a doctor, but as a consequence, memory impairment may remain.

But degenerative diseases of the brain, the most famous of which is Alzheimer's disease, are very difficult to treat. The disease is characterized by a gradual and steady decline in memory, and then intelligence, up to a loss of orientation in the environment and the impossibility of self-service. This disease is most often observed in patients of age. It begins gradually and imperceptibly. And the first sign is just a decrease in memory and attention. A person easily forgets recent events, often replacing them with memories of the past. The character of a person changes, he becomes demanding, apathetic, selfish. In the future, in the absence of treatment, the patient completely loses orientation in space and time, cannot name today's date, gets lost in a familiar place, consider themselves small children, do not understand where they are, do not recognize loved ones. It is believed that there is a hereditary predisposition to Alzheimer's disease. The disease is incurable, but when started on early stage treatment, it is possible to achieve a long mild course without worsening the condition.

Not all memory impairment can be attributed to local brain damage. Sometimes a person unconsciously tries to forget disturbing thoughts, unpleasant events, offensive words. These are defense mechanisms. There are quite a few of them. And in the event that a person constantly uses one of these mechanisms, then this can be regarded by him and others as memory problems. Moreover, those negative emotions that are “repressed” or “forgotten” have a negative impact on the body, resulting in nervousness, unmotivated aggression, etc.

Treatment of memory impairment

Treatment of memory impairment depends, of course, on the cause that caused it. It is possible to use drugs, but none of them can be prescribed independently without medical supervision. For memory disorders, experts often recommend taking nootropic drugs.

In the treatment are used:

It is possible to use physiotherapeutic methods, for example, electrophoresis with intranasal (through the nose) administration of glutamic acid preparations.

Psychological and pedagogical correction is also successfully used to help patients with memory impairment. With the help of a teacher, the patient learns to memorize using other brain functions instead of the affected ones. For example, if a person cannot remember words spoken aloud, then by presenting a visual image that means the same word, memorization is possible. It is hard, long, painstaking work. It is necessary not only to learn to memorize with the help of other connections in the brain, but also to bring this process to automatism.

This symptom is dangerous only as an unfavorable prognostic sign indicating the progression of another disease. In addition, it violates the patient's social adaptation, worsens his quality of life.

Which doctor to contact with memory impairment

If you suspect that you have a memory impairment, then you should contact a neurologist, neuropsychologist or therapist who will conduct an additional examination. But there are some things you can do yourself and start right now.

It is known that most often, when a patient complains of a memory impairment, it turns out that the main reason is a violation of attention.

This is very typical for older people and schoolchildren. Events and information are underestimated, perceived fleetingly, especially if the situation is familiar to a person. And this state of affairs is quite difficult to reverse. The only way out is to constantly work on yourself, train your attention and memory: record important data on paper, keep a diary, master your mental arithmetic to perfection.

This method of training the brain is well described in the book of the American professor Lawrence Katz. These exercises activate the work of the brain, contribute to the creation of new connections and associations, and involve different parts of the brain.

Here are some of these exercises:

Try to do your usual activities with your eyes closed.

If you are right-handed, try doing something with your left hand (for a left-hander - with your right hand): combing your hair, writing, brushing your teeth, putting on a watch on your other hand.

Master Braille (a reading and writing system for the blind) or sign language, at least the basics.

Learn to type on the keyboard with all ten fingers.

Learn a new kind of needlework.

Learn to distinguish coins of different denominations by touch.

Read articles about things you've never been interested in before.

Try to visit new places, meet new people.

Try to speak in unknown languages.

The brain also needs constant training. And remember that how long you will be "of sound mind and sound memory" depends to a greater extent on you.

Moskvina Anna Mikhailovna, therapist

Can you tell with certainty where the keys to the apartment are?

Where is your hairbrush? What was the hairstyle of the saleswoman in the store you went to recently? Probably, you will not be able to remember such trifles. “Think about it, it’s okay!” you say. And you will be wrong.

Light absent-mindedness threatens to turn into a bad memory in the future. Today we will talk about why memory problems occur and how to solve them.

Bad memory: causes

Memory is a mental process that combines the functions of storing information, storing it and then reproducing it.

In order to spare our nervous system, to protect it from overstrain, there is a forgetting function.

Usually the brain tries to “erase” negative information and protect a person from negative emotions. It is for this reason that we often forget to do things that we do not like.

If the understanding has come that there are problems with memory, first of all, you need to determine what kind of memorization began to fail.

Based on the memorization time, memory can be divided into the following types:

- direct - the phenomenon is forgotten immediately (for example, a letter printed and then safely forgotten);

- short-term - information is stored no more than 30 seconds;

- long-term - storage in the mind of remembered information for many years;

- sliding - the phenomenon is stored for exactly the amount of time that is needed, then it is erased (for example, a learned exam ticket).

If memory is deteriorating, the cause is not approaching old age or an injury, such as a severe concussion.

The gradual decrease in the ability to remember information lies in the disruption of the brain.

This usually happens for a number of specific reasons.

Stress, anxiety, worries. The human brain focuses on the problem, because of which he is experiencing anxiety. As a result, memory deteriorates, a person becomes distracted.
Alcohol. Slows down the process of thinking, reduces the perception of the world around. Antidepressants and other sedative medications can have a similar effect.
Smoking. Nicotine and other toxic substances significantly impair visual and short-term memory.
Chronic fatigue and lack of sleep is one of the common causes of scattered memory.
Lack of vitamins (folic, nicotinic acids).
The most common reason is the usual habit of rushing. In a hurry, a person does not concentrate on trifles, as a result of which he quickly forgets about them.

There is no need to rush to the pharmacy for medicines for "bad memory". There are many techniques and ways to improve memory, some of which you can try at home or while traveling on public transport.

If forgetfulness is not a consequence of trauma, then it can be quite successfully dealt with. Use the following tips.

Pay close attention to the little things. Focus on the task you are doing, no matter how simple it may seem. Solve the problem as soon as you remember it, and let the accompanying information help your memory. For example, when parking a car, note that two trees grow nearby, and opposite is a store with a sign such and such. You use several types of memory in this case, and the information will be remembered better.

Try not to be distracted from the task at hand. Entering the room in search of, for example, keys, look for them, without paying attention to foreign objects.

Learn to include logic and build associative series. For example, you must remember the address of Ivanov, 12. Imagine that you have an acquaintance with such a surname who will come to you at 12 o'clock. Do the same with names. For example, you can’t remember the name of the boss in any way. Come up with some association to it. Every time you meet this person, recreate the image in your mind.

If memory is reduced due to a lack of vitamins in the body, then it is necessary to intensively replenish their deficiency. Scientists have proven that memory impairment is associated with a lack of iron, zinc, and boron. Fruits, vegetables, meat should be included in your diet constantly.

And, of course, the main enemy of memory is the wrong way of life. Alcohol, smoking, junk food, stress and constant fatigue lead to brain disorders. Let a healthy lifestyle become your companion, and then even in old age, illness will be nothing to you.

Read also:

Memory impairment: causes and treatment

Memory is considered the most important function of the human brain, which affects cognitive processes, mental activity, and mental ability. This function is a complex process, which for certain reasons may be subject to change.

Moreover, disorders can occur at any age, they often occur in young people. Our article will talk about why there is a deterioration in memory and attention and how to deal with these changes.

Causes and features of disorders at different ages

These problems can manifest as short-term memory loss. They can significantly change the quality of life. There are many reasons for this, among which the leading place is given to:

Taking medications. There are medications that lead to a deterioration in memory and attention.
Excessive use of alcoholic beverages, drugs. These bad habits have a negative effect on the brain, worsening the speed of processes.
Insufficient amount of sleep, which leads to chronic fatigue, because of which there are obstacles to normal processing of information.
Frequent stressful situations that lower fixation of attention. With nervous overstrain, a person seems to get hung up on experiences, from which the ability to remember suffers.
Malnutrition. In order for the brain to function normally, it is necessary to consume fats and proteins, and the consumption of foods rich in B vitamins plays a special role.
Head injuries can lead to memory loss, not only long-term but also short-term. There are times when memory returns over time.
A stroke often leads to memory loss. Usually people who have had a stroke remember pictures of childhood, but they forget what was for lunch.

disorders in young people

There are cases that absent-mindedness is manifested in people. They often forget what day of the week it is, where they put the keys to the apartment. This forgetfulness is mainly formed by such reasons as leading an unhealthy lifestyle. Often, after a stormy evening, young people do not remember what happened yesterday.

The special aspects of brain damage that lead to forgetfulness are manifested due to all kinds of gadgets. Multitasking is necessary for brain health, and electronics do it. If there is no switching of attention to different types of activities, then short-term memory is disturbed.

Often inattention arises from the addiction to keep phones nearby during sleep. They emit harmful electromagnetic fields that destroy various brain functions. People have a psychological disorder that leads to an emotional imbalance, they become more distracted, forgetful.

Also, a sharp deterioration in memory occurs during dehydration, with low blood sugar. As a rule, when the causes of the problem are eliminated, brain functions are restored.

Important! If young people have difficulty remembering, then it makes sense to reconsider their lifestyle, perhaps this is due to lack of sleep, physical inactivity, and the presence of bad habits.

Having studied the methods of Elena Malysheva in improving cerebral circulation, coordination, memory recovery, as well as for the treatment of VSD, depression, insomnia, relieving constant headaches and spasms - we decided to bring it to your attention.

Disorders in the elderly

Elderly people often complain about forgetting. It often happens that they forgot the way home, what movie they watched the day before, for which they went into the room, as the usual objects are called. Usually these problems are associated with senile dementia. However, they are not always a sign of incurable diseases. Usually older people need more time to memorize, recall information.

This phenomenon is not a problem that arises as a result of the inevitable aging, since the brain has a unique ability to produce young cells at any age. If this ability is not used, then the brain cells will atrophy. The following reasons affect memory impairment in older people:

deterioration in the state of the area of the brain that is responsible for the process of remembering;
a decrease in the amount of synthesized hormones that protect cells and stimulate the formation of new neuron connections;
due to many diseases, there is a decrease in blood circulation, which negatively affects mental activity.

Important! In old age, it is necessary to timely distinguish the forgetfulness inherent in age from the onset of the development of serious diseases.

How to distinguish normal memory impairment in older people from the development of diseases?

Often in older people and their environment, the question arises of how to distinguish normal changes in the cognitive function of the brain from the onset of serious diseases. The main difference is that at the onset of the disease, periodic failures affect the daily life of a person. Persistent deterioration of the speech apparatus of memory is called senile dementia. A person practically loses the opportunity for abstraction and logic.

If forgetfulness and absent-mindedness do not interfere with leading a normal life, engaging in the usual type of activity, then these are not terrible age-related changes. Beginning dementia is characterized by difficulty in performing ordinary tasks, such as washing dishes. Also, a signal in order to suspect a disease is a loss of orientation in a familiar environment, a change in behavior, and a distortion of spoken words.

When such symptoms appear, it is necessary to consult a neurologist as soon as possible, he, after certain diagnostic measures, will recommend a treatment that eliminates the problems that have formed.

Influence of anesthesia

Everyone knows the negative impact of anesthesia on the functioning of the brain, memory often suffers from this, the ability to learn decreases, and distracted attention is observed. Usually, over time, this problem disappears, but there are times when spontaneous recovery after the influence of anesthesia does not occur.

If after 3 months there is no improvement, then you need to contact a neurologist, who, after finding out the cause, will prescribe adequate therapy. Most often, he recommends taking nootropics, neuroprotectors, antioxidants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Also, to speed up the return of memory, it is recommended to solve crossword puzzles, charades, read more literature. If you do not consult a doctor in a timely manner, then you can only aggravate the situation and the therapy will not bring the expected result.

What to do with distraction?

Many people in the modern rhythm often suffer from forgetfulness. In the question of how to deal with forgetfulness, experts highlight the following effective recommendations:

Since absent-mindedness, forgetfulness is insufficient concentration, it is necessary to learn to focus on a specific action, while not being distracted by secondary objects.
Also, during work, you should take small pauses that will help you figure out which part is done, how much more needs to be done.
Visual reminders in the form of stickers and a work plan will help you not to miss important things.
Don't put off small things. They must be disposed of immediately. Since a bunch of small things will definitely interfere with the implementation of important work.
For better concentration, you should keep order on the table. Excessive clutter is distracting.
You should keep a notebook to record important things, while the work done should be crossed out.

Also, to combat absent-mindedness, you can use the technique: "Find 15 differences." To increase the concentration of attention, you need to engage in feasible sports, reduce the time spent in virtuality and devote more time to communicating with people. When these simple recommendations do not bring the expected result and the condition only worsens, then you need to see a doctor.

Exercises to Eliminate Violations

To prevent memory impairment, at the beginning of the problems that have formed, simple exercises are a good remedy. Below are some of them:

You can perform the usual actions in an unusual way. For example, brush your teeth with the other hand or go to the store in a different way.
After watching a movie, it is useful to restore the course of action.
Crossword puzzles are very useful.
It is useful to count in your mind from 1 to 100 in reverse.
You can try to write 5 words from the proposed syllables, for example: “Re”, “Mo”.
Memorization of poems has proven itself well.
It’s good to train the brain by drawing geometric shapes, first with the right hand, then with the left, and then with both.
Composing new words from the proposed word, for example: Hairdresser - wig, frame.
You can read any literature turned upside down.

In order for these exercises to be beneficial, they must be carried out daily. Neuropathologists say that if you devote 20 minutes to this every day, you can significantly improve the functioning of the brain.

Therapy

A drug solution to the problem is possible only after a thorough examination. Usually, memory impairment requires treatment with drugs after years, when the recommended exercises do not bring the expected result. Most often, for these purposes, the reception is recommended:

Bilobil, which is made from the extract of the Ginkgo Biloba plant. The medicine normalizes blood circulation, improves the functioning of the brain, helps to eliminate anxiety, improve sleep, mood.
Glycine, which is the safest remedy that gently affects brain processes.
Aminalon, which allows the absorption of glucose, which is nutrition for nerve cells.
Eleutherococcus extract, which tones the body, restores mental activity, reduces overexertion.

Cortexin

A special role for the treatment of memory disorders is played by the appointment of Cortexin, produced from the brain of cattle. It is produced as a powder, which, when dissolved, is injected. This drug is widely used for brain injuries, strokes. Allows you to treat Alzheimer's disease, senile dementia. It is also widely used to improve the cognitive function of the brain.

Cortexin establishes a balance between inhibition and excitation, protects brain cells from oxygen starvation, and prevents their aging. This natural remedy is prescribed in courses, if necessary, which can be repeated three times a year.

Adhering to certain rules, you can get rid of absent-mindedness. If with the help of simple exercises it is not possible to improve well-being, then it is recommended to consult a doctor. He will prescribe medications that will help eliminate memory problems.

You have memory problems, increased forgetfulness.
You notice that they began to perceive information worse, there were difficulties in learning.
You are frightened by the inability to remember certain events or people.
You are worried about headaches, tinnitus, lack of coordination.

Read better what Elena Malysheva says about this. Read better what Elena Malysheva says about this. Recently, I started having problems with memory and attentiveness, I constantly forgot everything and was extremely absent-minded and not collected. Trips to doctors, pills did not solve my problems. BUT thanks to a simple recipe, I became more collected, I began to remember even minor little things, headaches and spasms were gone, coordination and vision improved. The depression is gone. I feel healthy, full of strength and energy. Now my doctor is wondering how it is. Here is a link to the article. Here is a link to the article.