Remembering how to remember Remembering how to remember (June 08, 2005)

Books offer tips on sharpening your memory

Stanford Health Library

Misplace your keys lately? Forget where you parked the car? Have you ever walked into a room and forgotten why you were there? Do you worry that your memory isn't what it used to be? You are not alone.

People of all ages are concerned about their memory, especially older people who worry about having Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia. No one can remember everything -- but knowing whether your forgetfulness is normal or a sign of something more insidious can be challenging. The ability to remember does change as people age, but there are ways that most people can improve their memory.

A new book at the Stanford Health Library, "Improving Your Memory: How to remember what you're starting to forget," by Janet Fogler and Lynn Stern, is just the ticket for those who are concerned about their memory loss. The book explains, in plain English and in diagram, just how your brain remembers and how it forgets. The components of memory: sensory memory; working memory (what is often called short term memory); and long term memory are discussed, as are the ways memory changes with age.

One of the most valuable sections in the book is a self-inventory that helps readers identify the types of memory problems they personally experience. It helps people answer the question: Is my forgetting normal or do I have Alzheimer's? Readers assess their effort, attitude, mood and health status. The authors encourage them to visit their physician for a health examination.

"Improving Your Memory" is full of practical tips and techniques to help people understand and improve their memory. The exercises inside are easy to use and targeted to specific issues; for example, the ability to recall, the ability to encode, and remembering more than one item at a time.

There are many other resources at the Stanford Health Library that address the wide range of issues associated with memory; in particular, age-related memory loss. The 2005 edition of "The Johns Hopkins White Paper - Memory," is on the shelves, along with issues from previous years. The White Papers include up-to-date information about memory loss and also describes ways readers can determine whether the problems they are experiencing are signs of a serious memory deficit.

A pamphlet called "Improving Memory: Understanding and preventing age-related memory loss," a special report from Harvard Medical School, outlines seven types of normal memory loss, how it changes with age, medications, and offers exercises to improve memory.

A chapter on memory loss, in the book "50 Signs of Mental Illness," by James Whitney Hicks, M.D., focuses on causes, with special attention paid to coping with assorted types of dementia.

For more information or research assistance, free of charge, come into one of the Stanford Health Library branches, at the Stanford Shopping Center near Bloomingdales'; on the third floor of Stanford Hospital or on the main level of Stanford's new Cancer Center; or call (650) 725-8400.

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