Brain Health 101: You Heard What?
By guest expert Dr. Cynthia Green, Ph.D., a nationally recognized expert in brain health and president of Memory Arts LLC.
“Why am I having trouble remembering?” “Is there a special diet to boost my brain power?” We asked and you delivered. Thanks to everyone who wrote in with questions for the new “Ask the Expert” column. I’ll be covering the topics you’ve raised in these first few entries.
As an expert in memory and brain function, I have found that there are some commonly held misconceptions out there about memory. Holding onto these “memory myths” gets in the way when we want to boost our brain power. So, as a “kick off” for our conversation on brain health, lets debunk some of these fallacies, starting with a few of my favorites*:
- The “Secret Handshake” Fallacy. What does it take to have a great memory? Some folks believe that folks who have a great memory have been given access to a great secret, much like those folks in the Masons, who proved their membership through a “secret handshake.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Everyone can improve their memory performance. How? Simply by practicing healthy brain habits.
- The “Memory Cure” Fallacy. Perhaps you’ve heard that caffeine is good for your memory. Or estrogen, vitamin E, gingko biloba, choline, or even phosphatidylserine (ok that last one is fairly esoteric). Guess what – there is NO cure for your memory. Why? Because, if you are the average healthy adult without a diagnosis of a major memory disorder, your memory isn’t sick. What your brain really needs is a good workout, not a pill. And don’t let them tell you otherwise.
- The “If It’s Broke, You Can’t Fix It” Fallacy. “I have a terrible memory.” “I’ve never been able to remember names.” I hear this kind of negative memory talk all the time. Your memory isn’t broken. And all of us (in the absence, again, of a major memory disorder) can improve our memory just by practicing better brain health habits.
So what does it take to improve your recall and gain better brain health? Better brain health habits. Yes, it’s that simple. And that’s no secret. So what are those better brain habits? That’s what we’ll be focusing on here, so stay tuned.
Dr. Green
*For a complete list of my Favorite Fallacies about memory, see Step 1 in Total Memory Workout: 8 Easy Steps to Maximum Memory Fitness (Bantam Dell).
Jan 25, 2008
Let me ask something, if you experienced a tragedy is it possible that you erased willingly your memory because you didn`t want to suffer of any depression. It may sound strange but it happened in one of the neighbourhoods in Toronto. I would be very curious about if it will come to surface later or it is deeply buried. I hope that your article will appear soon I can`t wait it.
Jan 25, 2008
I am happy to respond, especially as it is unlikely that I will be covering repressed memory, since it is an area that requires different expertise. One of the ways we may cope with traumatic events is to repress memories of or around the event, especially one that are quite painful and traumatic. Often psychotherapy can be very instrumental in helping people who have experienced significant trauma, both where memories for the event are remembered and/or repressed. I recommend you look at the website of the American Psychological Association, where they have further information on the psychological impact of trauma and how to best cope with it (www.apa.org/topics/topictrauma.html).
May 19, 2008
Hello,
Do you plan to publish here ont the webpage some kind of chart showing average, max, min, scores in the games? I would be very interested in performance of my brain compared to other people.
Cheers,
Darek
Mar 04, 2009
I am recovering from brain surgery and have spent a great deal of time on this site. I had a cyst between my brain hemispheres which was clogging the drain in my brain. I have been told that this area is related to memory. When I first started Lumosity I was in the bottom 2% for memory for my age group and I am now up to 17%. I am interested in any information on restoring your brain to health after surgery. Are you able to create new neurons? Are there certain foods I should be eating? Thank you for your time. I appreciate it very much.
Mar 06, 2009
Hello Donna,
Its great to read of your progress. The brain does have an amazing ability to adapt to recover from damage and yes can even produce new neurons. As far as specifics concerning your condition,..that is a question for your doctor, but here is some general brain health information you may find useful:
A preview of our upcoming knowledge center:
http://www.lumosity.com/blog/brain-foods/
And how physical exercise may be able to increase production of brain blood flow and the production of neurons:
http://www.lumosity.com/blog/physical-exercise-and-brain-blood-flow/
http://www.lumosity.com/blog/brain-building-with-exercise/
Hope that helps.