THE SELF
Forgetting
is the new
normal.
Why we forget things, and how we may be able to control it.
A
ccording to memory the hippocampus, can it then be the brain continues to produce
researcher Dr. Scott relayed to the prefrontal cortex to neurons? The answer may well
Small, at Columbia be held for short term use – this is come from mice. Ten years ago,
University, we all lose memory our short term memory. So when when neuroscientist Fred Gage
the older we get. Decades ago, you use a phone number, make a of the Salk Institute made the
researchers thought that we call and swiftly forget it, what is discovery, he did so using mice.
were all born with a set amount occurring is the synchronisation Those mice that exercised, i.e.
of neurons, and as we got older of the hippocampus and the clocked up more rotations on the
they simply decayed. Not so. Dr. prefrontal cortex. spinning wheel, produced more
Small now knows that the brain neurons. The mice that were
continues to reproduce neurons in But if you remember the mostly sedated produced far less.
at least two parts – the olfactory number, then that bit of The same it turns out is true for
bulb and the hippocampus. It’s information has gone through humans.
the hippocampus that controls our the chemical process called
memory. So why should we lose long-term potentiation (LTP) Studies have shown that the more
memory if the brain continues to that strengthens memory recall. we exercise, the more cerebral
reproduce neurons? You need LTP to form long-term blood volume we produce, which
memories, and LTP takes place in is the pretext for neuron build
Well, let us consider how memory the hippocampus. With age the up, and its the neuron build up
functions. The hippocampus, a hippocampus begins to shrink, that creates a sharper memory.
cashew-shaped node of tissue, and the pathway between it and People that exercise regularly
deep within the temporal lobe the prefrontal cortex begins to during revision period always,
of the brain, near the amygdale, degrade. Signals fade away and on average, perform better than
which is the seat of emotions, is questions take their place: “What those that do not. Research gets
the gatekeeper to all our sensory was your name again? Sorry, better. Those that merely did
information; the smell of freshly have we met? For the life of me, toning and stretching but never
baked bread, the touch of smooth I just can’t remember my own got their heart rate pumping
marble, the equation needed for an phone number!” did far worse than those who
exam, a phone number you need did aerobics and the like. In
to call – all must pass through Now that we know this, let us particular these people scored
the hippocampus. Only if this return to the original question, higher in all cognitive tests – tests
information can get in through why do we lose memory if to show clarity of thinking and
20
HPD Sept ‘09 - Feb ‘10
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