I’m in my sixties, and I sometimes seem to temporarily forget the most ordinary things … names, phone numbers. My doctor says not to worry, but I’m concerned that my memory is failing, and of course, I worry about Alzheimer’s. This also happens to some of my friends. What do you think?
What you've been experiencing is common, and these temporary lapses aren't a sign that your memory is waning or your brainpower is declining. In fact, just the opposite may be true. The latest news from the neurological front on this matter is actually quite encouraging. Recent research suggests that as we age, our brains actually work somewhat better than they did when we were younger, despite the occasional frustrations of forgetting a name, phone number or other bits of information. In all likelihood, when you can't place a face or when you mislay your keys, you soon recover the information. With Alzheimer's, memory lapses are more disturbing and tend to interfere with daily life.
An interesting article in the May 20, 2008 issue of the New York Times reported on studies showing that older brains take in more information and are able to draw on it and use it better than younger brains. For example, the article described studies where college students and adults 60 and over were asked to read text that is interrupted with unexpected words or phrases. The students read through the passages at a consistent speed while the older people slowed down when they reached the out-of-place words. This suggests that they were taking in and processing the information. Later, when the two groups were asked questions about what they had read, the older adults were better able to respond than the students when the answers concerned the out-of-place words.
According to the Times article, current neurological thinking now holds that over time, older brains may be better able to make use of seemingly irrelevant information - an ability that seems to equate with wisdom or with superior problem-solving skills. In essence, older people seem to take in more detailed information and observations, which they're able to integrate with all the stored up knowledge they already possess and eventually draw on it when needs arise. The studies that led to these conclusions are analyzed in a new edition of a neurology book, Progress in Brain Research, the Times reported.
None of this explains why you may not immediately remember a name or phone number, but it is comforting!
Andrew Weil, M.D.
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译文:
我逐渐老化的大脑：对不起，我又忘了你叫什么
我现在６０岁,有时候似乎会暂时地忘记最平常的小事...名字,电话号码.医生让我别紧张,可我还是担心自己的记忆力正在衰退,当然,我担心会得老年痴呆症.这种情况我朋友也经历过.你是怎么想的呢?
现在你所经历的很普遍，而且这些暂时的记忆短路不是说你的记忆力或智能在衰退．实际上，也许恰恰相反．最新的神经学消息相当振奋人心．近来研究表明随着我们年龄的增长，我们的大脑运转得甚至比以前更好．年轻时，也会偶尔失误，忘记一个名字，一串电话号码，和其他信息．很可能，当你记不起一个人或错放了你的钥匙，你会很快重新获得这个信息．但对老年痴呆者而言，记忆短路更加让人困扰和容易打乱日常生活．
今年５月２０号刊登在纽约时代杂志学术研究版的一篇有趣的文章指出，年长者的大脑会吸收更多的信息并且能够更好地利用．例如，这篇文章描述了此项研究，大学生和６０岁以上（包括６０岁）的成年人要求读插入了令人意想不到的单词或词组的文章．学生们连贯地通读全文，而年长的遇到过时的单词会放慢速度.这说明他们在吸收处理信息．然后，当问及他们刚才所读的，年长的成年人能更好地回答关于过时单词的问题．
根据这篇文章，目前的神经学认为随着时间的推移，年长者的大脑可能会更好地利用似乎毫不相关的信息，这是一种似乎等同于智慧或者更大的难题的能力即解决问题的技巧．从本质上来说，年长的人似乎吸收更多的详细信息和观察，这样他们能够整合所有获得的储备知识，最后需要时便可提取．一本新的神经学书籍<<大脑研究新发现>>分析了得出上述结论的研究报告，时代杂志报道．
这些都没有解释为什么你可能不会立即想起一个名字或电话号码，但是让人宽慰！
医学博士安德鲁．威尔