By Karla Sullivan
Several researchers have also found that cognitive ability does not decline as we age. “Our brains are like a computer,” said Dr Michael Ranscar of Tubingen University. “The human brain works slower in old age but only because we have stored more information over time.”
Computers are trained, like humans, to read a certain amount and to learn new things each day. When the researchers let a computer “read” only a small portion of information, its performance on cognitive tests resembled that of a young adult.
But when the same computer was exposed to the experiences we might encounter over a lifetime – with reading simulated over decades – its performance now mirrored that of an older adult. Often it was slower, but not because its processing capacity had declined. Rather, increased “experience” had caused the computer’s database to grow, giving it more data to process – which takes time.
“The brains of older people do not get weaker,” says Michael Ramscar. “On the contrary, they simply know more.”
Something that the aging brain is criticized is forgetting names or mispronouncing them.
However, forgetting is not the issue but the aging brain tends to associate the new name with a vast collection of existing names that have stored in the brain’s database throughout its lifetime.
For example, one person commented that they met a girl named Alisa (Aleesa) but wanted to pronounce it differently; that pronunciation of the name found more frequently in the vast decades of names in the personal database.
Many question why the elderly forget what happened five minutes ago than the details of the past. And generally it is because they return to those memories, their marriage, and the birth of a child or even a tragic event more often as those files are used more frequently. They know how to access them and they are more important.
Now, can we improve the processing speed of the brain?
Researchers at John Hopkins found that sessions given to improve reasoning ability and speed of processing really made a dramatic difference. Those in the memory-training group were taught strategies for remembering word lists and sequences of items, text material, and the main ideas and details of stories.
Participants in the reasoning group received instruction on how to solve problems that follow patterns, which is useful for tasks such as reading bus schedules or completing order forms.
Individuals who received speed-of-processing training participated in a computer-based program that focused on the ability to identify and locate visual information quickly, which is useful when looking up phone numbers or reacting to changes in traffic when driving. Ten years later, participants in each intervention group reported having less difficulty with instrumental activities of daily living.
Boosting brain power can be done by receiving additional education, reading, physical exercise, and studies suggest that even being involved in social media has helped to improve the processing of an aging brain.
