Neuropsychology of memory and aging

WWhat is the relationship between aging, memory loss, and overall cognition? This is a hotly debated topic following Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report on President Biden’s alleged mishandling of classified documents. That’s a problem.

Although the report does not recommend imminent criminal charges against Biden, prosecutors describe Biden as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” and focus on the president’s age, which is sufficient. It is attracting a lot of attention. The president has difficulty remembering dates, names, or details of events. Biden disputed those accounts, telling reporters Thursday, “My memory is fine.” And Democrats are also pushing back, citing Donald Trump’s memory loss.

Medical experts are avoiding armchair diagnosis of celebrities. But this conversation provides an opportunity to reflect on what we know about memory and brain aging. To understand more, STAT spoke to Joel Kramer, a professor of neuropsychology at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center, who focuses on the relationship between the central nervous system and behavior and directs the UCSF Memory and Aging Center. Ta. The following interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Is aging always associated with memory decline?

There are no hard and fast rules about how memory changes with age. Some people’s memory deteriorates significantly, and some people we’ve been following for years don’t change their memory at all. Therefore, memory loss with age is inevitable.

So why do we get the impression that memory always declines with age?

That’s because the brain is just like any other part of the body. And as we get older, we become more susceptible to all kinds of symptoms that are related to age, not age itself. I just came in from the orthopedic surgeon this morning because I have arthritis in my hand joints. Granted, as is often the case as you get older, my wrist problem isn’t age, it’s arthritis. The same goes for memory. So there are 30 things that can go wrong with our brains as we age. These changes are more at risk as you get older, but they are not an inevitable part of aging.

On average, an 80-year-old has less memory than a 60-year-old, and a 60-year-old has less memory than a 40-year-old. But these are just general trends. And it’s inconceivable that this 80-year-old old man has a worse memory than the average 40-year-old or any other 40-year-old.

Is memory decline or memory loss in older adults always indicative of an underlying disease, or can it also indicate other cognitive impairments?

If there is a significant amount of disease, a more widespread decline in memory and other functions may be expected. [mental] skill. However, they are actually quite easy to separate. And in fact, one of the ways many older adults compensate for their memory loss is by having exceptional reasoning, planning, and judgment skills. Some people claim that wisdom and judgment increase with age.

There was a great study of airline pilots a few years ago that showed that older pilots definitely have slower reaction times, but they are more experienced and have better judgment. So the idea that just because you’re 80 years old means you have problems with memory or other skills is completely false.

So, when do you, as a doctor, start worrying about that? Could memory loss be something more serious?

In reality, there are several factors that cause concern. If your family members are commenting on the changes. If a problem is found on a cognitive test.if [in] When we test someone and see biological signs that indicate a potential disease, we become alarmed.

Going back to the topic of memory loss, is it all the same? Or do some types indicate a bigger problem than others?

There are several different types of memory, and each memory system relies on different neuroanatomical structures or different neural networks. It depends on the type of disease you have. The types of memory symptoms are very interestingly diverse. There may be patients who have major impairments in one memory system and OK in another, and patients who have exactly the opposite pattern. In many cases, there are associations that can help with diagnosis.

Do you think our bias against aging is showing up in Biden’s case?

In some cultures, older people are more respected and respected, but the problem we have clinically is that families don’t realize that the person has a disability. But in our country, I don’t know if it’s a cultural bias or rather the lowest level of political nonsense. I think there’s a certain level of criticism of Biden’s memory and cognitive abilities…in this case, it’s political.