Brain Fitness as We Age

Researchers say, and this will hardly come as a surprise, that one of the biggest changes as we age is that, mentally, we slow down.

Studies show that speed may be the biggest difference between memory in the young and old. For example, if you read a story once to a 20-year-old and a 70-year-old, chances are, the youngster will remember more of it.

However, and here’s the good news, if you allow the older person more practice, they are usually able, when tested later, to recall as much as the 20-year-old. Why is this important? Because it suggests that we can compensate for some normal age-related changes in memory with a little work.

You may not be able to read a newspaper article in the morning and expect to have it on the tip of your tongue at dinner, but if you’re willing to practice and rehearse the information longer, you may be surprised by how much you can still learn and remember.

Read more about Keeping Your Brain Fit in the Feb. 11, 2008 edition of U.S. News & World Report. Sarah Neuman resident Hortense Gutmann is featured!