Do you have trouble remembering where you left your car keys? Do you struggle to recall people's names? A study from Cambridge University suggests that regular aerobic exercise - such as jogging - can significantly boost memory by triggering the growth of grey matter in the brain. But are there other things we can do to develop our brain cells? We asked eight-times World Memory Champion Dominic O'Brien, author of Learn To Remember and a host of bestselling memory books, for his tips...
WHAT IS MEMORY?
Simply put, memory is the mental activity of recalling information that you have learned or experienced.
A memory is stored as a result of complex electrical signals which cause a change in the physical structure of the brain. Whether a memory is stored as a short or longterm one depends on exactly how the event is received by the brain.
Memory: If you don't want to be as forgetful as a goldfish, there are exercises you can do to get your brain up to speed
SHORT-TERM MEMORY
This is a system within the brain that is used for temporarily storing and managing information. We use short-term memory to remember an address we've just looked up or to compare prices of different items in the supermarket, for example.
Short-term memory generally holds information for only ten to 20 seconds, but it is vital for any activity that requires conscious thought - even something as simple as understanding this sentence.
Items stored in our short-term memory tend to be discarded fairly rapidly, however. It can normally hold approximately seven pieces of information simultaneously - new data displaces whatever is already there. As a result, short-term memory is easily lost.
HOW BIG IS YOUR SHORT-TERM MEMORY?
This exercise will reveal how much data you can hold in your short-term memory before it is replaced. Ask a friend to write down and then read out four random single digit numbers (from 1-9) at the rate of one number per second. Once all four have been read out, try to write them down in order, from memory.
If you can do it correctly, try five numbers. If you are able to recall five numbers correctly, move on to six, and so on. The average memory span for normal adults is six numbers.
LONG-TERM MEMORY
This involves the information you make a conscious or unconscious effort to retain because it has a personal meaning. For example, information about friends and family; the best places to buy certain items - or events and situations that have had an emotional impact on you.
Some long-term memories require a conscious effort to recall: memories about specific experiences; or facts which can be everything from the names of insects to the colour of your bedroom curtains. Another type of long-term memory is procedural memory, which involves skills such as tying your shoelaces - you can do them 'standing on your head'.
WHERE IS MY MEMORY?
Certain areas of the brain are especially important in the formation and retention of memory:
The hippocampus (so- called because it's shape resembles a seahorse) is a structure in the brain that has the main role in processing information as long-term memory.
The amygdala, an area near the hippocampus, processes emotion and helps to imprint emotive memories in the brain.
The cerebral cortex - the outer layer of the brain, stores most longterm memory in different zones, depending on what kind of processing the information involves: speech, sensory input, problem-solving, etc.
Memory also involves communication among the brain's network of neurons, which are millions of cells activated by brain chemicals called neurotransmitters.
HOW DO WE MAKE MEMORIES?
There are three stages the brain goes through to make memories:
1. Acquiring new memories
All day long new information enters your brain along pathways between your neurons (nerve cells). But if you don't stop to concentrate, the data might as well go in one ear and out the other. If you focus intently, whatever you are trying to remember is encoded in the brain, the first step to memory-making.
2. Storing away the words, numbers and pictures
If you've concentrated hard enough to encode something, your hippocampus sends a signal to store the information for the long-term. This is easier if it's related to something you already know, or provokes an emotional reaction from you.
3. Retrieving the information
Every time you need to recall a memory, your brain has to activate the exact same pattern of nerve cells that it used to store it. The more frequently you think about the information, the easier it is to retrieve.
HOW TO KEEP YOUR MEMORY SHARP
As we saw in the Cambridge University study this week, regular aerobic exercise is very important for brain health as it boosts the circulation and increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the brain.
Regular exercise also reduces the risk of disorders such as stress, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which can adversely affect brain
function. Some experts also believe exercise can enhance the effects of helpful chemicals and protect brain cells.
GOOD SLEEP HABITS
A good night's sleep is thought to play an important role in the consolidation of memory. The theory goes that during sleep the brain is relieved from handling the constant barrage of stimuli with which it is bombarded during waking hours. While we are asleep, our minds are free to review, organise and file the experiences of the day.
Sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnoea can play havoc with recall, because they leave you tired and unable to concentrate during the day.
STOP SMOKING
Smoking heightens the risk of circulatory disorders that can cause strokes and constrict arteries that deliver oxygen to the brain.
NUTRITION
A diet based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and 'healthy' fats will provide lots of health benefits, and can also improve memory and brain function.
• B vitamins protect neurons by breaking down homocysteine, an amino acid that is toxic to nerve cells. They're also involved in making red blood cells, which carry oxygen. Best sources are spinach and other dark leafy greens, broccoli, asparagus, strawberries, melons, black beans and other legumes, citrus fruits and soybeans.
• Antioxidants such as vitamins C and Ehave been linked to a slowing of age-related memory loss. Best sources are berries, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, green tea, nuts and seeds, citrus fruits and liver.
• Omega-3 fatty acids are associated with cognitive function. They count as 'healthy' fats, protecting against inflammation and high cholesterol. Best sources are oily fish, walnuts and walnut oil.
Adapted from How To Develop A Brilliant Memory Week By Week (£5.99) and Learn To Remember (£7.99) by Dominic O'Brien, published by Duncan Baird Publishers. To order (p&p free), call 0845 155 0720.
