How to Deal With an Aging Brain? 684
An anonymous reader writes "I'm sure this is something all older Slashdotters are aware of: as I get older my once-sharp brain is, well, getting worse. In particular, I'm not able to remember things as well as I once did. As a geek my capacity in this area was always what defined me as a geek. Nowadays things seem to go in OK, but then leak out. A few weeks later I've mostly forgotten. So, I ask Slashdot: how do you cope with your mind getting older? What's your trick? Fish-oil? Brain Training on the DS? Exercise? Or just trying harder to remember things?"
Your choices are not complete (Score:5, Interesting)
Choose 'all of the above' and anything else that keeps your mind active. Brain health is a topic with a huge volume of data on the Internet. Recent additions to the pile of info is that cannabis (THC) may help retard onset of senility. There are many things you can do. Your wetware is chemically based, and so any particular concoction that works wonders for anyone else many not work at all for you. The goal would be to match physical traits of yourself to those that benefit most from various remedies. If you are overweight, look for brain health options that seem to work for diabetics etc.
That's what I'm doing. Find best matches and experiment. So far so good. I think.
Piracetam & Other Nootropics (Score:5, Interesting)
I recommend Piracetam: the first Nootropic ("smart drug").
It is extremely safe, and is widely used in Europe to help reverse the effects of aging and to help against the deterioration of memory, among other things (note: I am not a doctor).
There are numerous forums and communities on nootropics, both for anti-aging and productivity-boosting needs. However, make sure you take the advice from those places with the appropriately-sized grain of salt, and always double-check everything with a proper medical resource (i.e. peer-reviewed studies).
I won't get into the details here, because I already did that in an older post (related to stimulants, but it is nonetheless relevant here too). Yes, I guess this qualifies as karma whoring ;)
My previous post on Piracetam: http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=562684&cid=23523554 [slashdot.org]
Wikipedia on Piracetam: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracetam [wikipedia.org]
Erowid on Nootropics: http://www.erowid.org/smarts/ [erowid.org]
First thing, Ouch... (Score:4, Interesting)
Secondly, I wonder if this testosterone effect is the same / similar in women. (I'm pretty sharp, but I'm also suffering from excessive testosterone... well, for a chick anyway.)
Who needs to remember? (Score:3, Interesting)
I never found having nearly photographic memory to be particularly necessary. I never saw the point of memorizing a lot of junk in school; I know how to read, I own the book, nobody could ever give me a single sane reason why it was worth spending days memorizing things for an exam. We all know it's gone again a few days later, but the book is still there.
I find the same applies to life in general. The important part is to be able to find solutions, and understand them when you do, not being able to recite every possible thing from memory.
If you remember "everything" without any effort, great! I don't. But, luckily, there doesn't seem to be much of a need.
Replace memorization with wisdom and intelligence (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Your choices are not complete (Score:3, Interesting)
What's been proved is that people who smoke pot tend to drink alcohol too. Alcohol kills memory MUCH faster and more extensively than pot does.
Just sayin.' Watch your sources and prejudices.
Re:perspective (Score:5, Interesting)
Don't worry, though, there's hope for us all yet. Just a few days ago, my mother (88) told me how she'd met General Patton while she was taking a walk in April '45, a story I'd never heard before.
Written vs. Oral Societies. (Score:2, Interesting)
1. When I was an undergrad I had a class on African Traditional Religions, the prof. was Kenyan. He used to actively speak out against using notebooks in class. He insisted that his education was better, it was entirely an oral based schooling as was his home life. After this had come up enough times in his class as well as my anthropology classes I thought I'd give it a go. I already had a great memory and often found notebooks and their accouterments a pain in the ass. One day I just stopped using any kind of notes; instead I paid attention to everything I felt I needed to learn. At night, I'd replay my day before I went to sleep. My GPA went up, in one semester from a 3.3 - a 3.9 and stayed there until I graduated.
2. I find, the older I get the less I care about much of the inane crap that gets tossed at me. (apologies to
Between work and home I have 14 unique passwords and change them every 30-60 days. I don't use a personal phone book either. I'd rather keep this stuff in my head instead of writing it down. I still believe that maintaining an active oral/mnemonic storyline of my life will keep it active instead of seeing it wane so dramatically in my later years.
I've seen this hold true for many friends who are in the theater. I've seen many 60+ yr/olds grab a script and be off book in 24 hrs. Relying on devices, of any kind, weakens the mind.
Re:Supplements (Score:5, Interesting)
I suggest you do some minimal research on vitamin absorption and aging. (hint - it doesn't get better). You are correct that most under 30's don't need vitamins, but by the time you hit 40, B12, C, and D aren't absorbed as well. For mental functioning, B12 is the big one. You can Google "vitamin absorption aging" and your favorite vitamin, or read a few of these:
B12 [oregonstate.edu]
B12 [nytimes.com]
C [oregonstate.edu]
D [nih.gov]
It's Google that causes it ... (Score:5, Interesting)
Technology replacement (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm 25, and I have a neurological condition called Dyspraxia which causes short-term memory problems, among other things. (My long term memory works fine, and you wouldn't notice anything unusual just by looking at me) On any given day, I can usually remember only one or two pieces of information at a time in my short term memory, and I used to constantly forget about assignments, appointments, things I was told to do five minutes ago, etc. Over the years, I've had to adapt to this problem by devising workarounds.
I used to write things down in a planner book and keep it with me, but I kept losing it or forgetting to bring it with me. To solve this problem once and for all, I began using a tool called Taskfreak [taskfreak.com] after a former co-worker told me about it. I have Taskfreak running on my server, and since it's a web app, I can check it from pretty much any location and at any time, unlike other software planners I tried in the past. Plus, its impossible to "lose" Taskfreak since it's never really in my possession to begin with. This tool has practically replaced my short-term memory, since the only thing I have to remember is to check it often. (The browser start pages on all my computers point to my taskfreak installation, so I see it every time I start Firefox or any other browser)
Re:Piracetam & Other Nootropics (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm not sure but I think Piracetam has been asociated with anxiety and irritability, although it's generally considered to have minor side effects.
I took another one of the racetams (Levetiracetam, trade name Keppra) for epileptic seizures. Besides being an anti-epileptic drug, Levetiracetam is considered a nootropic, and I do remember feeling that it made me a little sharper. It's structurally similar to piracetam- it has an extra ethyl group. But I can't imagine anyone wanting to take this stuff to get more intelligence. The psychological side effects are just too nasty.
Not everyone reacts to it the way I did. Some people experience no side effects at all, and really like it. But for me this was an amazing drug. I would take it, note the time, and brace for it. After 20 minutes, thoughts would start to fill my head- first reflective thoughts, then bittersweet thoughts, becoming morose ones, and an hour later it was a full blown depression. It felt like I was being crushed by a little pill, if that makes any sense.
I actually was able to focus well on this drug, but I was really pissed the whole time. I was angry that I had to do whatever I was doing, even if I could do it well. I did more chores and resented every minute of it. At work I would snap at people and have to apologize an hour later. That got old really fast. I gave things to my wife and asked her to hide them from me, because I would get overwhelmed by sudden impulses to smash whatever I was holding against the floor. It changed the importance I attributed to things- so that I would get incredibly annoyed by the stupidest little stuff. If something was even a little annoying without Keppra, it became intolerable under its influence. This is a well-known symptom; it even has a name: "Kepp-rage". I caused a lot of trouble.
After months of this my emotions sort of dulled out and faded away, except for occasional hostile impulses that I was able to recognize as the drug. It was a little helpful with the seizures. But then I went to my next doctor appointment and as soon as he saw me he took me off of it. "I can see you have a flattened affect." No kidding, it was flatter than Kansas.
Simple tricks (Score:1, Interesting)
I've always had a nearly photographic memory - I can remember things back to when I was 1 year old. However, as I've gotten older, I find that the film's getting a bit dried out and it's not as easy to remember things as it once was.
The simple solutions?
* Sleep. As a pure CS - I never got enough. Still don't. But when I do, I can remember much better.
* Repeat things that you want to remember 5 times. Whether it's out-loud or to yourself, it doesn't matter.
* Lower the stress levels. Whether it's smoking pot, petting the cat, hanging out with the wife/girlfriend, going mountain biking, just walking around, meditating, etc. it all helps. Stressed out brains don't work so well - and caffeine doesn't always counteract those effects like it did when we were 20-somethin...
* Play sudoku. Seriously - play that thing a couple times a week. Get one of those little toys, a book of the puzzles, something for the palm/treo/blackberry/N8x0/whatever... It exercises the brain.
* Finally - challenge yourself with things that have nothing to do with what you do every day. The more technical, the better. Make the brain work. Pick up a good book on Quantum Mechanics or Gravational Wave Theory or even Differential Equations. Yeah - we all struggled with that crap in school, but trying to wrap your brain around it helps to keep things sharp. ... that which isn't used withers. That which is used to excess grows tired. Find the balance - it's going to change as you grow older, but it's certainly doable.
Just getting comfortable (Score:2, Interesting)
The moral of the story is that we get too comfortable as we get older. We have more experience and our brains are trained cracking the hard stuff. You are used to understand complex things easily and you forget just how much energy it used to take when you were learning some fundamental ideas the first time. Just remember how much time you had to devote to understand calculus even though it's ideas may seem self-evidend now to you.
Now from time to time you encounter a problem that your brain will not crack right-away. You think you are too old for it but it is much more possible that you just don't have the patience to put as much effort into understanding it as you did when you were a student. And that is not a physical brain condition - it's just good old 'getting too comfortable'.
Depends on how much money you want to put into it (Score:5, Interesting)
You can try neurofeedback which is a direct way to train the brain. Research this since there is a lot information out there, both for the expert and layman.
Re:Growing up, not older. (Score:4, Interesting)
I could not imagine not pushing myself mentally, regardless of how old I get.
Sitting around doing nothing would bore the crap out of me after a few days, and I'd have to go fix something.
Re:Piracetam & Other Nootropics (Score:3, Interesting)
Suggesting that someone gets doped up and sped up with stimulants is a pretty poor idea, especially when dealing with the over 40 crowd. Has there been any studies on the safety of this stuff for older people? Does it affect the heart in any way? Or the lungs? Who knows. This stuff is sold as "nutritional supplements." Nootropics are a young man's game, if they really do anything other than a boatload of side-effects.
Chemistry isnt the best way to attack all problems. It amazing what you can to improve yourself with nothing but your mind. Im not young either anymore, but not as old as the person asking. What I do is:
1. Make lists. No need for a super memory when everything is written down. This also keeps you from stressing out about forgetting things.
2. Focus my energies. Im not some time-rich undergrad or someone living in their mother's basement. I can only learn so many new things and do so much. I focus on only a couple instead of a potpourri of items. This also has the side-effect of keeping one from being a Jack of all trades, master of none."
3. Use relaxation techniques. A little deep breathing or even a simple form of meditation works wonders. Geeks are pressured to get all hopped up on caffeine and other stimulants. Heh, you dont know smarts and insight until youve gone dry on this stuff and used your brain naturally. Trust me. Not to mention, older people should worry about their hearts first and then their brains; stimulants can cause heart disease.
4. Eat better. You cant eat like youre 18 anymore.
5. Get some exercise. Doesnt matter what, a little goes a long way.
6. Embrace aging. You cant fight it, so work with it. There's nothing sadder than a 60 yo guy with a dye job and an over-priced convertible trying to win back his youth. Let it go. Find other things to do than technology. Other things become more important.
Re:Supplements (Score:1, Interesting)
Yup, I thought taking a multi-vitamin once a day would help with fatigue, irritability, and generally make me feel healthy. Shortly after beginning that experiment, I woke up with pain in my side which got worse and worse, to the point of unbelievable pain and pain-induced vomiting. I went to Mercy hospital's emergency room, thinking I was dying. (of organ failure, burst appendix, or an alien slowly ripping its way out of my stomach)
In the examination room, while keeled over a vomit bag, I was asked where it hurt (where my hands are clutching), if my family was abusing me (not lately), and if I was always this pale (sadly yes).
It turned out I didn't need a vitamin supplement, and I got a kidney stone to prove it. I learned the true meaning of "please, kill me" pain, and that it's also accompanied by limitless nausea. (and that contributes to dehydration, which makes the pain worse, I'm told)
It was a small kidney stone. It didn't even need to be removed surgically or by ultrasound.
The hospital's solution was morphine, and after the nausea stopped, drinking lots of water.
Re:Growing up, not older. (Score:5, Interesting)
What I do (Score:3, Interesting)
I exercise daily, teach myself new things that I've always wanted to learn, do a lot of reading and challenge my mind in many other ways. I enjoy a few beers or glasses of wine often and do a little weed now and then. I don't take any vitamins and I don't do diets. I'm 63.
I realize that I have forgotten a lot of information I needed to know for school, work etc., but I recognize that I have forgotten that information because I no longer need it and I replaced it with new stuff I like.
There is a history of Alzheimer's in my family so I also keep myself informed on the latest research regarding prevention.
Re:Or.. (Score:2, Interesting)
I was vegetarian for most of my life and vegan for 14 years. In 02, at the age of 44, i started eating fish and i noticed a distinct improvement in my memory over the next year or two.
I stopped drinking beer at the same time - which was probably related too.
Re:Growing up, not older. (Score:3, Interesting)
If I wasn't working I wouldn't be bored, because there are a lot of projects I've put on hold that I could be doing if I had the money and time for them.
Hopefully my brother and I can stave off the possibility of Alzheimer's that we may have inherited from our father and grandfather...
Re:I use gun. (Score:4, Interesting)
That has given me an excellent idea.
When I used to work for Sun, they brought in a new motivational and cost-reduction tool: the 10% rule. It came from GE.
Every year at appraisal time, the staff would be ranked in order of righteousness. The bottom 10% would be fired. No ifs, not buts, just fired. Luckily I got downsized rather than 10%ed. (I was actually ranked fairly high.)
We need something similar for society. Every year, your employer, doctor, family and friends should send an appraisal to the government. The bottom 10% of society could be put to sleep. Just watch productivity grow! Think of the savings on welfare, health costs etc. All slacking would be virtually eliminated over night! No more dead wood, just a continually improving bright, shiny nation of go-getters and successful people. Low taxes, homelessness, drug addition, alcoholism eliminated! Only the wealthy would reproduce. Everyone constantly vigilant striving to improve!
Re:The Racetam Nootropics (Score:2, Interesting)
And you people that use these mind-improving drugs never stop to wonder if what you're doing has any long-term bad effects? Also, to me this brings up the image of a world seperated between the ability-improving drug using people and the others... Did Mozart or Einstein use Aniracetam? Would their work have been better if they did? I doubt it.
Re:Maybe improve your diet and exercise? (Score:5, Interesting)
Also, using the brain is strongly correlated with intellectual acuity:
Do calculations in your head. E.g. add up grocery prices at the store.
Use mnemonics. E.g., your friend introduces his two sons Sam and Bill. Bi l l is the o l der one.
Read books. Unlike the single-screen attention span required for web reading, books require a longer span. Think about the book and discuss it with friends afterwards.
Get off google. Looking things up that you "used to know" encourages mental laziness. Make yourself really think back and reconstruct (i.e., refresh old neural pathways) and you will be surprised at how much you can remember.
Meditation, prayer, yoga, hypnosis. These are activities that turn off the mental chatter and help improve concentration.
Challenge your mind. My mother-in-law, in her 70s, does a sudoku puzzle every day. There is evidence that such exercises contribute to improved acuity. Sudoku, crosswords, other puzzles all can be helpful.
Review. First thing in the morning, look at your schedule, look over the specs, study the code, whatever info you might find helpful to recall later that day, instead of reading the Times or the sports news.
Get off drugs. Reduce coffee and alcohol intake and detox your brain. Especially, alcohol and recreational drugs have a numbing effect on the mind and destroy memory capacity.
Herbal supplements. This is controversial at this time. Some claim positive effects from gingko and other herbal extracts, and others claim no effects have been found. It may help you.
Good luck! The brain does change over time, but it's possible to youthen your brain through conscious effort. Ultimately you can enjoy the advantages of the wisdom born of age and a strong intellect and clear memory.
Notetaking (Score:2, Interesting)
Unfortunately, my experience mirrors yours. I did a couple of years of near-genius work when I was younger. Some of my own code reads like the Book of Revelations to me now. I can barely understand it, and I was never a slacker about inline comments. Apparently, I never knew what a good comment was, or what I'd done that was so noteworthy, because some of those remarks seem downright cryptic to me. I was no Steve Wozniak, ever, but I could write beautiful code once. That mind is a complete stranger to me now, at age 64.
I use FireFox and SQLite Manager to keep a searchable list of memoranda to myself, these days. It helps, it really does. I keep telling myself that.
Because you HAVE to. (Score:2, Interesting)
The problem is, it's REALLY HARD to try to learn a whole new set of skills in a new career at 45. (The flip Simpsons comments on this thread are just showing how slashdot has become polluted with idiocy when serious subjects need discussing.)
The final exam has a bunch of math, and the Swiss group that administers the test requires students to memorize the formulae. Fortunately it's only a few questions out of twenty or so on the test.
Re:Or.. (Score:3, Interesting)
I see your point, but I think that's a slight oversimplification. Just because one's knees are starting to creak doesn't automatically mean one is stubborn and set in one's ways. And you've never met an excruciatingly stubborn person in their twenties?
I suspect that as people age they just become more of what they already are. I also suspect there's a little ageism at work also -- that "confident" and "headstrong" becomes "stubborn" and "arrogant" as the wrinkles become visible.
I look back at how I was straight out of college and am a little embarrassed. If anyone over 30 isn't a little contrite about how they acted fresh out of college, they probably need some introspection time. It all depends on where you work, of course, but a moderately successful, fairly young company will have already investigated those methodologies and either made them work -- rather than just marks on the chalkboard -- or already dumped them as this year's Shiny Object. Or last year's. Or last decade's, depending on what school you went to. Schools aren't always up to date either.
So the last thing we need is some young buck with no experience making a lot of noise about a process that we've already tried, of which we've already enumerated the weakness, and either dumped or heavily modified.
Mind you, fresh ideas are very important, but just because you recently graduated doesn't necessarily make your ideas fresh, and you probably haven't yet learned enough social skills to present them in a way that people can find acceptable. In other words, you kids get offa my lawn. Use the sidewalk, ring the door bell, be polite, and we'll talk. You might be surprised at how little you know. Or, you might surprise me. Let's find out together.
Incidentally, my high-school-aged daughter is 40 years younger than I (we started late) and she's perpetually annoyed that I can do her algebra problems in my head faster than she can do them on the calculator. Sigh. Schools today...
But back to the original question. I think that brains atrophy just like any other organ you don't use. I've been a little lucky in that my career has included jobs that required the ability to describe a process using calculus. I use algebra and trig (admittedly high-school level) on a daily basis. Also, I submit that anyone in IT who isn't working for the government or a utility needs to scramble to keep up on current technology, and I think that also helps exercise the brain. Now if I could only remember people's names...