Can't Remember What I Forgot: The Good News From The Front Lines Of Memory Research (2008) - Plot & Excerpts
If I could boil down this entire book into one recommendation, it would be: Exercise. Moderate exercise (cardio rather than stretching and toning) improves memory, triggers production of new brain cells, and reoxygenates the blood. It doesn't cure Alzheimer's, depression, Parkinson's, or dementia, but it increases the amount of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) circulating in the brain, and those four illnesses all include low levels of BDNF.Blueberries? They’re great . . . if you’re a rat. A blueberry-rich diet has had positive effects in lab rats, but no memory-related effects have been detected in human subjects.Crossword puzzles? They won’t do you any harm, and eventually you’ll get really good at them. But they don’t seem to have any protective effect against memory problems. According to one study, ballroom dancing may have an effect—perhaps because of the cardio workout and the complex spatial intelligence that a good ballroom dancer needs.This book is an appealing and even entertaining review of research into memory disorders. “Memory, it turns out, is an expert storyteller. If there is a context, it fills in the blanks. If there is no plot, it suggests one. This is because human memory does not record in real time; it is not an archive; it functions neither as hard disk or flash drive. Memories reside in the brain in chemical traces.”Okay, I’m going to go take a walk now. :-) I didn't quite realize (when I took note of this book at the bookstore) that it was really about the state of the art in alzheimer's research. I took the "frontlines of memory research" part seriously and expected some stuff about non-pathogenic memory. Nevertheless it was an informative book and one I'd recommend to anyone with concerns about Alzheimer's memory loss; there are things one can do, and there are treatments on the horizon.
What do You think about Can't Remember What I Forgot: The Good News From The Front Lines Of Memory Research (2008)?
I can't remember this book. I think I read it a few years ago. may have to read it again.
—Tootie
A consumer friendly look at neuro/medical research into memory.
—alice
Interesting look at current memory research.
—Coco
