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People often talk about the need for a ‘good’ memory
but what actually constitutes a ‘good’ memory? You could for
example remember the exact minute that the bus turned up on a
particular day or the exact time that you started eating your lunch
yesterday but are these memories really that helpful when you can’t
remember where you left your house keys last night?

Most people are happy to remember the important things in their
life and aren’t looking to develop a ’super’ memory or a
photographic mind. So the basic goal of most 20 to 50 year olds
must be to remember what they need to remember and if they forget
the rest then it’s no big loss.

So what do you need to remember?
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-    Important facts to do with your day to day life. For example you
need to remember your PIN number, your passwords to various
internet sites, your mobile phone number and so on. You don’t
however need to remember the phone number of local Chinese or the
closing time of the nearest supermarket as this information is
publicly available and easily found.
-    The important people in your life. You should try to remember
likes and dislikes, personal preferences, facts about their lives
that are interesting and other such stuff.
-    Information relating to your job. It doesn’t matter whether you
work in an office, on a building site or in a factory, there are
going to be things about your job that you need to remember for
everybody’s safety.

Obviously there are thousands of things that happen each day which
you can afford to forget - unless you want to develop your memory
abilities by training your brain to remember everything that
occurs. Some people have been known to do this and in isolated
cases their ’super’ memories have bought them success, wealth and
even fame. If this appeals to you then there are hundreds of
training programs available today which claim to be able to teach
you how to remember names and faces, number sequences and even the
value of pi to 1000 decimal places. You can also buy herbal
remedies that are thought to stimulate the brain and aid in the
memory process.

At some point though, human memory begins to diminish and this is a
fear that most people have today, regardless of their current age.
It isn’t unusual for people to sit there trying to remember
something that they knew weeks before, only to struggle with the
answer. The ‘tip of the tongue’ syndrome affects us all at some
point and shouldn’t be taken as a sign of impending memory loss.

So what does it mean to have a good memory?

As long as you can remember the things that are important to you
and the way you run your daily life then that’s all you need.
Everything else is a bonus that can be retained through brain
training and other memory improving methods. If you decide you want
to improve your memory for later in life then that is what you
should do however most people manage to get by quite adequately
with just the basics.
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Improving Memory: Understanding age-related memory loss

Dear Reader,

Feeling forgetful lately? You're in good company. As many as two-thirds of people age 50 and older notice greater difficulty remembering names, appointments, and other details. Fortunately, the small memory lapses that occur with age are not usually signs of a neurological disorder, such as Alzheimer's disease, but rather the result of normal changes in the structure and function of the brain.

This report describes age-related changes and other causes of memory impairment — and how to distinguish between them. It also discusses the process of memory evaluation and research on how to prevent memory loss and improve memory. Finally, it addresses the all-important issue of maintaining good cardiovascular health as crucial to preventing cognitive decline.

Although frustrating, memory difficulties caused by the aging process are relatively minor — they won't interfere with your ability to do your job or run your household. And there are many things you can do to protect and improve your memory. Some health conditions that become more common with age can impair memory, such as high blood pressure. Memory impairment is also among the side effects of some medications, such as sleep aids and some pain relievers. In such cases, controlling health problems and switching medications can often restore memory function.

Contrary to what we once believed, our brains keep growing new neurons (brain cells) and making new connections between them throughout life. This capacity for rejuvenation raises the potential for medical treatments to stop and reverse memory loss, whether from disease or from aging.

Meanwhile, you can support the growth and development of your brain by taking advantage of this hopeful news: people who keep learning and stay mentally active increase their odds of retaining good brain function as they age. The more you use your brain, the stronger it gets — and the longer it stays strong.

Sincerely,

Aaron P. Nelson, Ph.D. Medical Editor, Chief of Neuropsychology, Division of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Assistant Professor of Psychology, Harvard Medical School 
                                                                                                                             

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