图片附件: 如何保持记忆的体型.jpg (2012-3-22 11:38, 14.09 K)
记忆衰退是因为脑细胞死亡吗？神经心理学家David Weeks教授说NO！他认为和年龄相关的记忆问题主要是由注意力降低或者动机减弱引起的，罪魁祸首可能是焦虑和压力。但是心理-药理学教授Sandra File则补充说：衰老会导致脑细胞氧气量减少，所以记忆需要和肌肉一样得到锻炼。和身体一样，记忆也需要SPA。
专家说：当我们步入中年的时候，50%的人的记忆力会有所削弱。由于衰老，我们回忆的能力必然开始下降。
在一个记忆测试中，受测者被要求连续五次大声朗读一张含有75个单词的词汇表，结果18岁年龄段的平均得分为54，45到47岁以及65岁年龄段的人则只有37分。
记忆衰退是因为脑细胞死亡吗
“这不是因为脑细胞的死亡”，皇家爱丁堡医院临床咨询神经心理学家David Weeks教授说。“40岁以后，我们每天的细胞死亡率确实增快到10,000个/天，但是和年龄相关的记忆问题主要是由注意力降低或者动机减弱引起的，而这通常是因为焦虑或压力。”
伦敦国王学院心理-药理学教授Sandra File，同意压力会影响记忆，“但是”，她说：“在我们衰老的同时，我们的循环系统会逐渐减慢，这意味着到达我们脑细胞的氧气量会减少。另外，我们的脑部发育速度也没有以前快。”
她继续说：“记忆就像身体其他肌肉一样，它需要被经常使用来保持最佳水平。有句老话富含真理：要么用它，要么失去它。”
和File教授一样，Weeks教授也认为常规锻炼是保持记忆敏捷的关键。
根据美国北卡罗来纳州美国杜克大学医疗中心的调查显示：每周至少三次，每次半小时的锻炼将使你的记忆处于灵敏状态。锻炼会促进血液循环，增大脑部供血量。
大脑的食物
有人认为富含营养的饮食能显著提高注意力和记忆力，最近的研究显示补充你的饮食也可以帮助增强记忆力。
一个令人振奋的消息，由File教授率领的新研究显示，异黄酮，一种在黄豆食品中发现的天然植物雌激素，可能作用于人类大脑的雌激素接收器——海马区，这是记忆的关键部位。
新近一项研究，在18到34岁年龄段的人中进行，结果显示持续富含黄豆的饮食，在10周后就能提高记忆力和智力弹性（一种适应新情境的能力）。
更年期的妇女服用黄豆异黄酮胶囊也能起到相同的效果。黄豆异黄酮的最好来源，莫过于我们经常食用的豆腐，大豆（黄豆）和豆浆了。
富含抗氧化维生素A，C和E的食物，也是对大脑健康和记忆特别有益的。他们能帮助身体，包含大脑，清扫掉那些可能引起细胞病变的不法分子。富含这些维生素的常见食物以有色蔬果为主：比如香蕉，红辣椒，菠菜和橙子。
多吃含油脂肪的鱼类也是个不错的选择，他们富含欧米加3脂肪酸和叶酸，这些都是大脑和神经系统顺利运作的重要保证。比较好的食物来源有：沙丁鱼，鲑鱼，鲱鱼和鲭鱼。
保持“体型”（保持记忆敏捷）
很多研究显示，当我们年龄增长的时候，刺激是保持好记忆的关键。经常参加多种不同活动的人拥有更好的回忆能力。
Weeks教授说，良好记忆力的秘诀是“积极性”和“多样性”。你的大脑越活跃，你的记忆也越有活力；你的大脑被利用的方式越多，你的回忆也越轻松。
总之，保持主动积极总比被动好：不管你是积极主动地集中注意于事情上，还是让他们从你身边溜走。试试下面这些练习会帮助你提高心智：
1. 每天做思维练习：猜谜，搜词或小测验。如果你不知道答案，回去查一查，然后试着第二天记住他们。
2. 当你做财务计算的时候，扔掉计算机——用你的脑袋把他们算出来。
3. 尝试一些新活动——园艺，编织，或其他任何需要大脑，眼睛和手协调的活动。
4. 购物前列张购物清单，然后记住他们，才去商店。
5. 参加一些延伸大脑的活动，比如象棋，桥牌或其他能扩展你智力思考的活动。
6. 尽你所能地长时间工作，经常和朋友联系，参加一些社会团体。研究显示一些保持社会联系的人，特别是在工作当中，他们在记忆和注意力测试中有显著地出色表现。
英文原文阅读：《Keeping your memory sharp》
Keeping your memory sharp
By the time we reach middle age around 50 per cent of us have impaired memory, say the experts. As we age our powers of recall certainly start to decline
When asked to memorise a list of 75 words read out five times, the average 18-year-old scores 54, the 45-year-old 47 and the 65-year old just 37.
Brain cells
“This is not because brain cells die,” says Dr David Weeks, consultant clinical neuro-psychologist at The Royal Edinburgh Hospital.
“We do lose brain cells at a rate of up to 10,000 per day after about the age of 40, but the majority of memory problems associated with age are caused by poor concentration or motivation or by anxiety and stress.”
Sandra File, professor of psycho-pharmacology at King’s College, London, agrees that stress can affect memory, but, she says, “As we grow older our circulation tends to slow down which means less oxygen reaching our brain cells. We also don’t stretch our brains as much as we used to.
“The memory is like any other muscle. It needs to be used to function at optimum levels. There is a lot of truth in the old adage: Use it or lose it,” she explains.
Like Professor File, Dr Weeks believes regular exercise is key to keeping your memory in good shape.
Exercising for half an hour at least three times a week will help to keep you on the ball, according to research carried out at the Duke University Medical Centre in North Carolina.
Exercise gets the circulation going which also results in an improved blood flow to the brain.
Food for thought
It is also thought that eating certain nutrients can significantly boost concentration, attention span and memory, and more recent research suggests supplementing your diet could also help boost memory skills.
Exciting new research headed up by Professor File shows that isoflavones, the natural plant oestrogens found in soya foods, might act on oestrogen receptors in the human brain, particularly those in the hippocampus, a crucial area for memory.
In a recent study carried out on 18- to 34-year-olds, a soya-rich diet improved memory and mental flexibility (the ability to adapt to new situations) after just 10 weeks.
Menopausal women given soya isoflavones in capsule form benefited similarly. Good sources of soya include tofu, soya beans and soya milk.
Foods rich in the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E are particularly good for brain health and memory.
They help to mop up free radicals, rogue molecules which can cause extensive cell damage in the body, including the brain. Good sources include richly coloured vegetables such as bananas, red peppers, spinach and oranges.
It’s also a good idea to eat plenty of oily fish which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids as well as folic acid – all of which are vital for the smooth functioning of the brain and nervous system. Good sources include sardines, salmon, herring and mackerel.
Ginkgo biloba, a herbal extract made from the leaves of a Chinese plant known as the ‘tree of memory’ is the best researched memory-boosting supplement.
Several clinical studies carried out at the University of Surrey show that it enhances all types of cerebral insufficiency, especially verbal memory impairment. It works by improving circulation which, in its turn, increases blood flow, carrying more nutrients and oxygen to the brain.
Stay sharp
Many studies show that the stimulation is the key to good memory as we age. People who take part in lots of different types of activities have better powers of recall.
The secret to good memory is activity and diversity, says Dr Weeks. The more active your brain is, the better your memory is likely to be, and the more different ways you use your mind, the easier you’ll find remembering.
It’s all to do with being active rather than passive: whether you actively concentrate and focus on things or whether you just let them wash over you. Try the following exercises to sharpen up your mental faculties:
* Do a mental exercise every day – crossword, word search or quiz. If you don’t know an answer, look it up then try to remember it the next day.
* When doing your finances, ditch the calculator – use your brain to work them out.
* Take up new activities – gardening, knitting, anything active involving brain, eye and hand co ordination.
* Make shopping lists then memorise them before going to the shops.
* Engage in activities that stretch your brain such as chess, bridge or anything that pushes you mentally that little bit further.
* Work for as long as you can, keep up with your friends and join local social groups. Studies have shown that those who maintain social contact, especially at work, fare significantly better in memory and concentration tests.
FROM PSYTOPIC
[ 本文章最后由 zhangjt 于 2012-3-22 11:40 编辑 ]