DEAR DOCTOR: My memory is terrible and always has been. I seem to spend half my time searching for my keys or wondering whether I forgot to turn off the stove and lights. Could memory training help?
DEAR READER: As long as problems with recall do not arise from either medical or physiological issues, it is indeed possible to improve one’s memory. And it’s not just a matter of mastering complex systems or relying on clever tricks.
An intriguing study published in the scientific journal Neuron shows that a certain type of memory training has a measurable and lasting effect on networks that connect different regions of our brains.
The training focused on a strategy known as “method of loci,” also sometimes called the memory palace. The idea is that you mentally “place” things you want to remember – a person’s name, where you put the phone bill, what your spouse asked you to pick up at the store – into a landscape you know really well. Then when you picture yourself moving through that landscape, you’ll encounter the items you wanted to remember.
UCLA has a memory program for adults with known risk factors for cognitive decline. These risk factors include being sedentary, being overweight, having diabetes or having a family history of Alzheimer’s or dementia. Studies show that stress and depression can also have a hand in memory issues.
Participants improve their diets and are asked to exercise regularly and work on stress reduction. They also do brain training, some of it quite similar to the regimens reported in the Neuron study. They make a point of memorizing the kind of information that we now relegate to our electronic devices, such as a shopping list, frequently called phone numbers, birthdays of family and friends, addresses and one or two credit card numbers.
At the end of 12 weeks, participants reported improvements not only to their memories but also to their moods and general sense of well-being.
Elizabeth Ko, M.D., is an internist and primary care physician at UCLA Health.
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