Memory malfunction

Memory impairment is a pathological condition associated with the inability to fully conserve, accumulate and use information obtained in the process of perception of the surrounding world.

Memory impairment (episodic or permanent) is one of the most common disorders, which is familiar to almost everyone and can significantly worsen the quality of life. According to statistics, about a quarter of the world's population suffers from regular memory impairment (to varying degrees).

[1], [2]

Causes of the memory impairments

Memory impairments can be associated with a variety of different factors. The most common cause of this condition is asthenic syndrome, associated with general psychoemotional overstrain, anxious and depressed state. In addition, memory impairment due to asthenia can also be observed in the process of recovery after somatic diseases.

But memory disorders can also have a more serious origin: organic brain damage and mental illness.

So, we can distinguish the following main causes of memory impairment:

• general asthenic conditions, as a result of stress and overwork, somatic diseases and seasonal hypovitaminosis;
• alcoholism: memory impairment due not only to lesions in the structures of the brain, but also to general disorders associated with the toxic effect of alcohol on the liver and concomitant hypovitaminosis;
• acute and chronic circulatory disorders of the brain: atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels, stroke, spasm of cerebral vessels and other, age-related disorders;
• craniocerebral trauma;
• brain tumors;
• Alzheimer's disease;
• mental illness;
• congenital mental retardation, both associated with genetic disorders (eg, Down's syndrome), and because of pathological conditions during pregnancy and childbirth.

[3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9]

Symptoms

Symptoms of memory impairment can develop both suddenly and be slowly progressive.

Memory impairment can be quantitative. Then the following symptoms are observed:

• Amnesia: a complete lack of memories of events that occurred in a certain period of time. According to the temporary attitude to the traumatic event, it can be retrograde, anterograde and retro-anterograd. Also, there can rarely be a total loss of almost all memories.
• Hypermemia: an abnormal memory enhancement, as a result of which a person is able to remember and reproduce many events and information over a long period of time.
• Hyponeasia: partial memory loss (may be temporary and permanent).

Depending on which component of memory is affected to a greater extent, such symptoms can be observed:

• Fixation amnesia: the ability to fix events occurring at a given moment and new information is partially violated or completely disappears.
• Anektforiya: difficulties with the timely recall of information received earlier.

Concerning the object of memories, to which memory impairments are directed, symptoms of partial deletion of information can be observed:

• Affectogenic ameneasia: only particularly important memories are removed from memory, which have led to strong negative experiences.
• Hysterical amnesia: partial removal of unpleasant and compromising events from the memory of a person.
• Scotomization: memories are deleted in part, fragments, but without binding to any strong emotional experiences.

Symptoms of a qualitative memory disorder can also be observed:

• Pseudoreeminescence: this is a state where gaps in memory are replaced by memories of other events that also really happened to a person, but in another time period.
• Confabulations: the patient's memory failures are replaced by fictional events. And such invented events are absolutely not real and fantastic.
• Cryptomnesia: missing memories are filled with events previously heard, gleaned from books, newspapers, television and other sources, or even visible to them in a dream. Perhaps even attribution of the authorship of the creation of works of art and scientific discoveries.
• Ehkonezia: the perception of what is happening at the moment as such, which took place earlier.

Memory disorders in schizophrenia

In patients with schizophrenia, not only memory impairment is observed, but also a general frustration of intellectual processes - the so-called schizophrenic dementia. Its key feature is the functional nature and the absence of any organic lesions of the brain. These patients suffer not intellect, but the ability to use it. Also, dementia in schizophrenia is transient in nature and with a successful correction of the exacerbation of the disease can completely regress.

In general, memory in patients with schizophrenia long enough to remain almost unchanged. However, short-term memory and perception of current information suffer significantly. This condition is caused by a violation of concentration of attention and a decrease in the motivational component of memory.

Also in patients with schizophrenia, the process of generalizing the information obtained and associative memory suffer. This is caused by the emergence of a multitude of random and non-specific associations that reflect too general features of concepts and images.

A characteristic of a schizophrenic memory disorder is that there is a kind of "double memory": against the background of a rough destruction of some memories, other aspects of memory are preserved unchanged.

Memory impairment after a stroke

When stroke occurs, blockage of the cerebral arteries by a thrombus, or squeezing the substance of the brain with blood flowing out of the ruptured artery. Often after a stroke, memory impairment may occur. In the initial stage (immediately after the stroke), general memory disorders can be observed in the form of complete disappearance of memories of the time period preceding the disease. In rare cases (with extensive strokes), there may be total transient amnesia, when patients can not recognize even close people and other familiar concepts.

Gradually, common phenomena pass and memory disorders associated with the lesion of a particular region of the brain responsible for a specific memory component come to the fore. Violations are very diverse. For example, modal-specific memory disorders (difficulties in perceiving information by one of the analyzers) may occur, short-term memory worsens, difficulties arise with the reproduction of previously acquired information. Very often there are problems with concentration of attention (distraction) and deterioration of the motivational component of memory.

Despite the seriousness of memory impairment after a stroke, thanks to adequate rehabilitation, the mental functions of the brain can eventually be restored to its fullest extent.

Memory impairment in children

Memory disorders in children are associated with both congenital mental retardation and acquired states in childhood. Such problems can manifest themselves both in the form of deterioration of the processes of remembering and reproducing information (hypnosis), and complete loss of individual memory episodes (amnesia). Amnesia in children can occur due to injuries, poisoning (including alcohol), coma and mental illness.

But, most often in children there is a partial memory impairment due to hypovitaminosis, asthenic conditions (often caused by frequent ARVI), an unfavorable psychological climate in the family and children's collective. Such violations are combined with a lack of assiduity, problems of retaining attention.

Children complaining of memory impairment often have problems not only with the development of the school curriculum, but also in games and communication with peers.

Memory in children with visual impairment

More than 80% of the information a person receives with vision. Therefore, visual disturbances lead to a significant deterioration in memory processes, especially in childhood.

For such children is characterized by a decrease in the volume and speed of memorization, a faster forgetting of the acquired material due to the less emotional value of the invisible images. The average number of repetitions of information necessary for effective memorization is almost twice that of a sighted child.

In the process of adaptation to visual impairment, the verbal-logical component of memorization is amplified, and the volume of short-term auditory memory increases. At the same time, motor memory deteriorates.

Memory impairment in the elderly

In the elderly, memory impairment is associated, as a rule, with age-related changes in the blood vessels and deterioration of the cerebral circulation. Also, in the process of aging, metabolic processes in nerve cells deteriorate. A separate serious cause of memory impairment in the elderly is Alzheimer's.

50 to 75% of elderly people complain of memory impairment. Decreased memory, forgetfulness are the main symptoms of age-related memory impairment. At first, short-term memory worsens for the events that have just happened. In patients, there is fear, self-doubt, depressive states.

As a rule, in the process of normal aging, the memory function decreases very slowly and even in extreme old age does not lead to significant problems in everyday life. Help to slow down this process active mental activity (from a young age) and a healthy lifestyle.

But, if memory impairment in old age progresses more intensively and the patient does not receive adequate treatment, senile dementia can develop. It manifests itself in the almost complete loss of the ability to memorize current information and the impossibility of even ordinary household activities.

Memory impairment syndromes

Memory abnormalities are very diverse and can be combined with other lesions of higher brain functions. Allocate such memory impairment syndromes:

• The Korsakov syndrome. Violated primarily the ability to fix current events. Other higher functions of the head remain unchanged or suffer slightly, there are no pronounced behavioral disorders. In general, it develops due to alcoholism, injuries and brain tumors.
• Dementia. The processes of both short-term and long-term memory are violated. At the same time, abstract thinking suffers and the integrity of the individual is destroyed. It develops due to age-related changes in the cerebral blood supply and due to Alzheimer's disease.
• Cyanile memory impairment. Expressed memory disorders in the old age, exceeding the limits of the norm for a certain age. However, it suffers only memory functions, but there is no significant social maladjustment.
• Dismetabolic encephalopathy. Occur with chronic pulmonary, hepatic and renal insufficiency, prolonged hypoglycemia. Also caused by deep hypovitaminosis and intoxication. Has a benign course and when the provoking factor is eliminated it regresses itself.
• Psychogenic memory impairment. Combined with memory and intellectual disability. Appear as a consequence of severe forms of depression. With adequate treatment, depression can also be regressed.
• Transient memory impairment. Short-term memory disorder ("memory dips"), in which only memories of a certain period of time are lost. There are no other violations of the higher functions of the brain. Occur due to craniocerebral injuries, epilepsy, alcohol abuse.

Violation of the motivational component of memory

As in any other intellectual activity, in the processes of memorization, one of the key roles is played by a person's understanding of the meaning and necessity of his actions - the motivational component.

The importance of the motivational component of memory was experimentally proved in the 1920s in experiments to study the phenomenon of better memorization of unfinished actions: the subjects more clearly recorded incomplete actions, since it became necessary to finish them later. That was the motivation.

The motivational component of memory is disrupted in conditions of depressive and asthenic conditions, when there is a general slowing down of mental processes. Especially greatly reduced motivation in patients with schizophrenia. And for those suffering from epilepsy on the contrary, the motivational component of memory is significantly strengthened.

Qualitative memory impairment

With qualitative memory violations, perversion, twisting and distortion of the stored information are observed. Such disorders are called paramnesia.

There are such qualitative memory disorders:

• Pseudo-reminiscences are a state where gaps in memory are replaced by memories of other events that also really happened to a person, but in another time period. Such "memories" arise, as a rule, in patients suffering from fixative amnesia.
• Confabulation is another variant of substitutive "memories". In this case, the patient's memory failures are replaced by fictitious events. And such invented events are absolutely not real and fantastic. Confabulation testifies not only to fixative amnesia, but also about the loss of critical perception of what is happening.
• Cryptomnesia - with this variant of paramnesia, the patient's missing memories fills with events previously heard, gleaned from books, newspapers, television and other sources, or even seen by him in a dream. The ability to identify the source of information is lost. The patient can even appropriate the creation of works of art and the authorship of scientific discoveries.
• Ehkonezia - the perception of what is happening at the moment as such, which took place earlier. But unlike deja vu, there is no effect of insight and a sense of fear.

Impaired memory

Immediate memory is the ability of an individual to capture and recreate information directly when it arrives.

The most common disorders of direct memory include progressive amnesia and Korsakov's syndrome.

• Korsakov's syndrome is characterized by loss of direct memory to the events that occur. At the same time, previously recorded information about the past is preserved.

Due to the difficulties in directly fixing the incoming information, patients lose the ability to orient. Defects in memories are filled with real events from their own more distant past, fictitious or gleaned from other sources of information.

• Progressive amnesia combines the loss of immediate memory and the gradually progressing loss of memories from the past. Such patients lose their orientation in the surrounding space and time, confuse the sequence of events that occurred earlier. Long past events are mixed with the events of the current period. This kind of memory disorders occurs in old age.

Infringement of the mediated memory

For indirect memory, it is characteristic to use the concept (intermediary) previously known to a concrete person to better fix new information. Thus, remembering is based on associations of information received with previously familiar concepts.

Infringement of the mediated memory is clearly traced in patients with congenital mental retardation (oligophrenia). The main reason for this phenomenon is the difficulty in identifying key features in memorable information for their association with previously mastered concepts.

In persons suffering from epilepsy and other organic brain lesions the problems of associative memorization on the contrary arise because of excessive attention to detail and the impossibility of isolating the common features of the object of memorization.

Also, difficulties in mediated memory are observed in patients with schizophrenia. This is connected with the arbitrary allocation of new or previously known concepts with uncharacteristic attributes, which in turn sharply reduces the value of such an association.

Forms

On the quantitative basis,

1. Amnesia: a complete lack of memories of events that occurred in a certain period of time.
2. Hyponeasia: partial memory loss (may be temporary and permanent).
3. Hypermemia: an abnormal memory enhancement, as a result of which a person is able to remember and reproduce a lot of events and information for a long period. As a rule, the ability to perceive numbers increases.

Amnesia, in turn, can be partial (concerns only a certain period of time) and general (the loss of almost all memories).

Types of amnesia:

• Retrograde amnesia: loss of memory for events before the onset of the disease (or trauma);
• Anterograde amnesia: disappearance of memory in the period after the onset of the disease;
• Retroantherogradnaya amnesia: disappearance of memory in the period before and after the onset of the disease;
• Fixation amnesia: lack of ability to memorize current events. At the same time, memory for events of an earlier period is preserved;
• Progressive amnesia: a gradual loss of memory. In this case, events that occurred in an earlier period, last longer;
• Total amnesia: complete loss of all information from memory, including information about one's own person;
• Hysterical amnesia: partial removal of unpleasant and compromising events from the memory of a person.

Separately, qualitative memory impairments are singled out, as a consequence of which both temporary perception of actual events are violated, and the filling of memory failures with fictitious memories.

Modal-specific memory impairment

This is a partial loss of the processes of preservation and subsequent reproduction of information perceived by only one sense system (belonging to a particular modality). There are violations of visual-spatial, acoustic, auditory, motor and other types of memory. They arise as a consequence of the pathology of the cerebral cortex in the zones of the corresponding analyzers caused by traumas, tumors or other local effects.

[10], [11], [12], [13], [14]

Modal-nonspecific memory disorders

Modal-nonspecific memory disorders manifest themselves as common lesions of all types of memory (regardless of their modality) in the form of difficulties in remembering, retaining and reproducing current information. Disorders occur both with arbitrary and involuntary perception of information.

Developed in violation of the functioning of the subcortical structures responsible for maintaining the tone of the cortical areas of the brain. The main reason is organic brain damage due to circulatory disorders, intoxications, Alzheimer's disease.

Memory impairment and attention

The ability to concentrate attention plays one of the primary roles in the process of remembering information. Therefore, attention disorders lead to a deterioration in the memorization of current information and events.

There are such disorders of attention:

• The instability of attention: the rapid switching of attention, the inability to long-term focus on a particular case, distractibility. It often happens in children.
• Slowed down switching: the patient has difficulty in distracting from the current topic, occupation, he constantly returns to it. It is characteristic for patients with organic brain lesions.
• Insufficient concentration: attention is of a diffuse nature, difficulties with prolonged concentration. It happens with asthenic conditions.

Because of the appearance, a functional and organic disturbance of memory and attention is distinguished.

Functional disorders develop due to mental overload and fatigue, exhaustion, stress and negative emotions. Such problems happen at any age and, as a rule, pass without any treatment.

Organic disorders of memory and attention develop due to damage to the cerebral cortex by various pathological processes. They are more common in the elderly and are of a sustainable nature.

Impaired memory and intelligence

Intellect is a complex concept that includes not only the ability to memorize information (memory), but also the ability to integrate it and use it to solve specific problems (abstract and concrete). Naturally, when the intellect is impaired, the memory function suffers.

Memory and intellect disorders are acquired and congenital.

Dementia is an acquired progressive deterioration of memory and intellect, leading to the inability to fulfill not only social functions to patients, but also to complete disability. It occurs with organic pathology of the brain and some mental illnesses.

For acquired disorders (oligophrenia) is characterized by brain damage in the period up to the first three years of a person's life. It is expressed in the underdevelopment of the psyche as a whole and social disadaptation. May be in mild form (morbidity), moderate (imbecile) and severe (idiocy).

Visual impairment

Visual memory is a special kind of memory, responsible for fixing and reproducing visual images, using such images for communication.

Violation of visual memory can occur due to the destruction of the cortex in the occipital region, responsible for memorizing visual images. This is usually due to traumatic effects or tumor processes.

Visual impairments are manifested in the form of a disorder in the visual perception of the surrounding world and the inability to recognize previously visible objects. Also, optical-mnestic aphasia may occur: the patient can not name the objects shown to him, but he recognizes them and understands their purpose.

Memory Process Violation

There are three processes that perform the function of memory: the storage of information, its storage and playback.

Problems with memorization are due to violation of attention and concentration on incoming information. The reasons for them, in general, are fatigue and lack of sleep, alcohol and psychostimulant abuse, endocrine disorders. Such processes do not affect emotionally relevant information.

Infringement of storage of the information comes at a lesion of temporal shares of a cortex of a brain. The most common cause is Alzheimer's disease. With such a violation, the incoming information can not be stored in memory at all.

Violations of the reproduction of information are mainly in old age as a consequence of a disturbance in brain nutrition. In this case, the information is stored in memory, but there are difficulties in reproducing it at the right time. However, such information can be recalled when a resembling association occurs or spontaneously. Such violations are rarely significant, but significantly hamper training.

Short-term memory failure

Memory functionally and anatomically consists of a short-term and long-term component. Short-term memory has a relatively small volume and is designed to hold semantic images of the information received for a few seconds to three days. During this period, information is processed and transferred to long-term memory, which has almost unlimited scope.

Short-term memory is the most vulnerable part of the memory system. It plays a key role in memorization. When it is weakened, the possibility of fixing current events is reduced. These patients have forgetfulness, which makes it difficult to perform even simple daily tasks. Also, the ability to learn is greatly reduced. The deterioration of short-term memory is observed not only in old age, but also due to overwork, depression, cerebral vascular diseases, intoxications (including with regular alcohol abuse).

Temporary amnesia due to strong alcohol intoxication, craniocerebral trauma, and other conditions leading to an eclipse of consciousness is also caused by the transient complete disconnection of short-term memory. In this case, events that do not have time to go into long-term memory are lost.

Complete loss of short-term memory (fixation amnesia) is observed in the Korsakov syndrome. It is characteristic for dementia and neglected stages of alcoholism. Such patients completely lose the ability to remember current events and are therefore socially absolutely maladaptive. In this case, events that precede the onset of fixation amnesia remain in memory.

Disorders of the acoustical memory

The peculiarity of the functioning of the auditory analyzer is that in order to adequately perceive the meaning of the heard speech, structures that hold information while the analysis of its content takes place. Such structures are located in the left temporal lobe of the cerebral cortex. The destruction of these structures leads to a violation of the auditory memory - a syndrome of acoustic-mnestic aphasia.

The syndrome is characterized by difficulty in perceiving oral speech, while maintaining the effectiveness of other channels for obtaining information (for example, through a visual analyzer). Thus, the patient of the four words he has heard will remember two, with only the first and last (edge effect). At the same time, the perceived words can be replaced by similar words or sounds.

Violation of the auditory memory leads to significant difficulties in verbal verbal communication and the lack of the ability to properly understand and reproduce sound speech.

[15], [16], [17], [18], [19], [20], [21]

Diagnostics of the memory impairments

The primary stage in the study of memory impairment is the collection of an anamnesis - the identification of complaints and other information that the patient can report independently. Also, in the process of free conversation, the doctor can tentatively determine which memory component suffers.

Then proceed to the detailed testing. There are many tests to determine the types of memory impairments. The most common of them are:

1. Testing of short-term memory: repeating words aloud immediately after they are scanned by the testers. The norm is 100% repetition.
2. The method of ten words: ten simple words are voiced, not having a connection between each other. After this, the patient is offered to repeat them in an arbitrary order. Further, the doctor again calls the same words, and the subject tries to repeat them. This cycle is repeated up to 5-6 times. Normally, at the first repetition, at least half of the words should be remembered, and after the fifth repetition - all.
3. The study of indirect memory by the method of pictograms: the subject is called 10-15 abstract concepts, and he on a sheet of paper depicts a simple drawing that is designed to help restore this word in memory. Next, using the drawn one, you need to reproduce the words. The same playback is repeated after 1 hour. Normally, you need to reproduce 100% of the words at once and at least 90% - in an hour.
4. Memory research using texts: a simple storyline of 10 to 12 sentences is used. This makes it possible to examine separately the visual (the patient himself reads the story) and auditory memory (the text is read out to the researcher). Then immediately suggest that he retell: in the norm there can be no more than 1 - 2 errors. After another hour, the paraphrase is asked to be repeated. Norm no more than 3 - 4 inaccuracies.

Further, instrumental methods for examining brain functions can be used, for example, an electroencephalogram. It allows you to determine the activity of certain areas of the brain in a calm and with a load. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain are also widely used.

Since memory impairment often has the nature of a secondary process, research is also aimed at identifying a physical illness that has led to such a condition. Here, general analyzes and instrumental examinations are used.

[22], [23], [24], [25], [26], [27], [28], [29]

Treatment of the memory impairments

In choosing the tactics of treating memory disorders, the primary role is played by the identification of the cause of the onset of such problems. After all, the weakening of memory is always a secondary consequence of the development of many somatic or mental diseases and conditions. Therefore, without adequate therapy of primary diseases, it is impossible to achieve any stable result of correction of memory disorders.

The treatment of such patients should always be selected individually, taking into account the type and nature of the disorders, aimed at correcting the diseases that led to a weakening of memory, is designed for long-term, and sometimes lifelong therapy.

In any case, self-medication is unacceptable, because at the initial stage, many formidable diseases (including those accompanied by memory impairment) have a rather innocuous symptomatology. Recognize such diseases and prescribe effective therapy can only specialist. Therefore, an early address to a doctor contributes to the effective correction of memory impairment and prevents the development of deep, neglected stages of dementia.

In addition to the specific treatment of pathology, which led to memory impairments, parallel measures of correction aimed at normalizing memory functions are applied in parallel.

If you have memory problems, diet and diet

For patients with memory impairment, it is very important to lead an active lifestyle, keeping it to a very old age. Walking in the open air, feasible work, playing sports and other active activities contribute not only to strengthening the general state of health and improving the blood supply to the brain. This activity is accompanied by the receipt and processing of a significant amount of information, which in turn facilitates the training of memory and attention.

A positive influence on a person's thinking abilities is intellectual activity: reading books, printed and electronic media, solving crosswords, other favorite activities and hobbies.

Maintaining active communication of the patient with relatives and friends, social activity is also very important for strengthening memory, developing its motivational component.

For people suffering from psychogenic memory disorders, the sparing regimen of the day is very important, avoidance of overwork at work and stressful situations, correction of the psychological atmosphere at work and in the family. Also very important is a high-grade full-fledged sleep, corresponding to an individual norm, but not less than 7-8 hours a day.

The diet of patients with memory disorders should be balanced, contain a sufficient number of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, vitamins and trace elements. Since the human brain consumes about 20% of all energy produced in the body, diets with an excessively low calorie content significantly reduce its performance.

Fatty varieties of sea fish are very useful: salmon, herring and others. They contain a lot of iodine and polyunsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3, which are part of the structure of all nerve cells and improve intellectual abilities. Also useful are whole grain cereal products (cereals, coarse grain bread), nuts, tomatoes, broccoli, pumpkin seeds.

Very important is the drinking regime. You must drink at least two liters of water a day. Dehydration is very detrimental to the activity of the nervous system.

Medication correction of memory disorders

For the treatment of patients suffering from memory disorders, first of all, various groups of drugs are used to correct the primary disease. In addition, there are special medications for memory impairment, which directly improve the thought processes, affecting the metabolism of the brain. Such drugs are called nootropics,

The most common nootropic drugs are divided into three groups:

• Nootropics of the classical type: preparations close in structure to one of the main mediators of the brain - gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). They directly normalize the metabolism of the brain, improving memory functions and concentration of attention. They are used both in complex therapy after strokes and other disorders of cerebral circulation, atherosclerosis, and in healthy people in conditions of excessive mental and psychological overexertion.

One of the most commonly used drugs in this group is piracetam. Produced in the form of 20% solution for injection, and in the form of tablets of 0.4 g. The average daily dose is 2.4 g, it is divided into 3 doses. Treatment lasts at least three weeks. As an adverse effect of pyracetam, there may be increased excitability or drowsiness, anxiety, worsening of sleep.

• Substrates of energy metabolism are substances directly involved in providing energy to nerve cells. For example, glutamic acid. Produced in tablets of 0.25 g. Use courses for 7 - 10 days with breaks of 5 - 7 days. Take inside 1 g 2 - 3 times a day. With caution should be used for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and increased excitability.
• Herbal preparations - indirectly improve the metabolism of nerve cells. The most common - bilobil. Apply inward, 1 capsule 3 times a day after meals. The course of treatment is at least 3 months. The drug is usually well tolerated.

Alternative recipes for improving memory

Treatment with such methods is rational to use for mild problems caused mainly by stress and overfatigue, or as an addition to the main drug therapy.

Here are some of them:

• Mixture of honey and onions: Grind the onion and wring out, get the juice. Mix 200 ml of juice with the same amount of honey. Apply on a tablespoon 3 times a day for 1 hour before meals.
• Tincture of red clover: 40 g of red clover colors are poured into 0.5 liters of vodka. Insist 14 days in a dark cool place. Further - tincture to filter. Take 20 ml before dinner. The course of treatment - up to three months.
• Decoction of young pine buds: for 400 ml of water - 1 tbsp. L. Kidney. Boil 10 minutes, cool and strain. Take three times a day on a tablespoon for a month.

I resort to surgical treatment for memory disorders only in cases of the necessity of correction of the underlying disease that worsens the normal functioning of the brain: as one of the means of complex treatment of brain tumors, traumatic lesions of the skull and brain, hemorrhagic strokes.

[30], [31], [32]

Prevention

Leading a role in the prevention and preservation of intellectual abilities is the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle: rejection of bad habits, exercise, timely treatment of somatic diseases (especially cardiovascular, nervous and endocrine).

It is also very important to maintain a rational mode of work and rest, the normal duration of sleep. After all, it is in a dream that the main work of the brain takes place in sorting out the information that has arrived, fixing it in a long-term memory. Normal sleep should be 7 to 8 hours a day.

Another important aspect of prevention of memory impairment is the preservation of the normal social activity of the individual, participation in public life and the provision of, if only minimal, work activities. It is useful to maintain communication with relatives and friends.

Positive impact on a person's thinking abilities also have intellectual pursuits: reading books, printed and electronic media, solving crossword puzzles, having a hobby.

[33], [34], [35], [36], [37], [38]