A sharp decline in mental abilities. How to increase mental abilities and strengthen memory. Features of changes in intellectual activity in schizophrenia

The brain grows up to 15 years and works most intensively in a person aged 15 to 25 years. Until the age of 45, the work of the brain remains the same, and then begins to weaken.

The brain is like an autonomously operating command post, divided into separate zones, where the received information is analyzed and signals are given to the organs of the body. The human brain is capable of storing the amount of information contained in a thousand twenty-volume encyclopedias.

Secrets and obvious enemies of the brain

• constant stress
• Overweight
• Lack of sleep
• Lack of physical activity
• Tobacco smoking
• Chemical compounds
• Medicines
• Irrational nutrition
• Head injury
• Cardiovascular diseases
• High blood pressure

What you need to build a healthy brain

The strength of the mind determines success in school, work and life. Loss of memory and mental acuity is not an inevitable consequence of aging. These are signs of mental fatigue, which in turn can bring a lot of trouble, up to serious illness. The brain ages as a result of the same forces as the body, only faster and harder. Causes of almost all brain problems:

1. Penetration of free radicals into the brain.
2. Reduced ability of brain cells to produce energy.

The brain has an amazing ability to regenerate, it can restore lost abilities.

There are tools you need to rejuvenate your mind when you experience signs of forgetfulness or inability to focus. They will be faithful assistants, and with slight forgetfulness, and with failures in the process of memorization, and with severe memory disorders.

Brain nutrition program

Making up only 2% of the total body weight, the brain consumes 25% of all energy, which makes it extremely sensitive to nutritional patterns. That is why multivitamin and mineral nutrition of your beloved body, and a complete healthy diet are very important. Nutrition is such a powerful medical tool that the slightest change in food habits can affect your entire body and the state of the brain in particular.

To keep the brain at its peak, it is necessary to pay due attention to the main tool for maintaining mental and physical health - nutrition. The laws of good nutrition require: eliminate unnecessary sources of sugar and trans fatty acids from the diet, reduce intake of saturated fats, add antioxidants and increase intake of omega-3 fatty acids.

Simply taking a few pills a day will significantly reduce your risk of many health problems, including mental decline, memory loss, and concentration problems.

ANTIOXIDANTS

Now we are talking about brain nutrition and we will consider antioxidants as the most important builders of mental abilities. If the brain is deficient in antioxidants, it becomes more susceptible to the damaging effects of free radicals and begins to spiral downward, leading to impaired thinking ability. Regular intake of antioxidant vitamins reduces the likelihood of developing vascular dementia by 88%, which is dangerous, primarily because it is the main cause of senile dementia, and at the same time Alzheimer's disease. A tablet containing a complete set of antioxidants, consists of vitamins A, C, E and minerals (selenium and zinc).

From the VIVASAN databank:

Peppermint green tea tablets are an effective weapon in the fight against free radicals.

Red Berry Syrup is an energy multivitamin drink based on fruit juices (cranberry and passion fruit) and wheat germ extract. Contains a full complex of antioxidant vitamins.

VITAMIN C

Everyone has heard about the beneficial properties of vitamin C. But few people know that vitamin C significantly improves mental abilities. Experts have found that taking vitamin C can increase IQ (intelligence quotient) by an average of 5 points (which is quite significant). Lack of sufficient vitamin C can cause memory impairment, inattention, and fatigue.

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, so it is easily excreted in the urine, lingering in the body for only 4-6 hours.

Taking vitamin C is extremely effective in old age. Such evidence came from a study of about 3,400 Hawaiians from the island of Honolulu. Tests have shown that older adults who took vitamin C and E supplements performed better on memory tests than those who did not.

From the VIVASAN databank:

VIVASAN has a large number of mineral-vitamin complexes, which include vitamin C. The most preferred among them are:

Acerola tablets are a food supplement with a general strengthening effect, optimally replenishing the body's need for vitamin C. Acerola, a tropical cherry, contains a monstrous amount of vitamin C, 30-80 times more than lemons or oranges.

COQ-10 (coenzyme Q10, ubiquinol - coenzyme Q10, ubiquinol)

Q-10 is the main nutrient supplying the biochemical "power generator" that provides energy to cells.

Q-10 is essentially energy: it stimulates energy production at the cellular level.

A reduced level of coenzyme Q10 means an increase in the number of free radicals, a lack of energy supply to the brain, fatigue, "obesity" of brain nerve cells that cease to learn, think and remember information with due efficiency, and a greater susceptibility to neurological diseases. Studies have shown that when the level of Q-10 decreases (which is typical for age-related changes), the supply of energy to organs and cells ceases to meet the real needs of the body. Decreased levels of coenzyme Q10 pose a double danger to brain cells: firstly, they receive less of the energy they need, and secondly, they are attacked by free radicals.

If the brain lacks energy, it also lacks neurotransmitters - chemical compounds that provide sharpness of thought and speed of reaction, and it also loses the ability to repair cells damaged by free radicals.

Taking Q-10 results in the following positive changes in the body: increased energy, improved heart function, prevention of gum disease, stimulation of the immune system, maintenance of optimal brain function, increased enjoyment of life.

From the VIVASAN databank:

Tonixin in tablets and Tonixin in vials is a tonic that perfectly helps with fatigue in any kind of mental, mental, and physical stress. The composition includes: coenzyme Q 10, eleutherococcus root, ginseng root, safflower root, radiola rosea root, catuaba extract, acacia honey, arginine aspartate.

Ginkgo Biloba (nootropics)

All over the world, the development and patenting of new nootropics is in full swing. At the same time, natural nootropics have long been known in medicine, one of which is gingo biloba.

Ginkgo biloba is one of the world's most popular medicinal plants. Centuries-old experience in the treatment of a wide variety of diseases has shown that ginkgo biloba is one of the safest, cheapest and most effective herbal medicines, widely used both in a hospital setting and in self-medication. The healing substances of the leaves of this relic tree have a pronounced positive effect on blood flow, reduce the need for brain tissue and heart muscle in oxygen, optimize the oxidative balance in the body, prevent premature aging of vital organs and systems, and alleviate and eliminate the symptoms of brain failure.

This wonderful plant prevents mental fatigue, increases efficiency and intellectual activity, improves memory and concentration.

The leaves of Ginko biloba have been used in Chinese medicine for over 4,000 years to treat fading memory. The effectiveness of this relic plant has been proven by Western scientists.

It is important that the use of ginkgo biloba not only improves mental functions, but also greatly contributes to overall health and well-being. Some studies in Europe and the US have shown that ginkgo can help people suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Leading European scientists have found that dementia patients who take ginkgo show signs of improvement. Studies conducted in the United States several years ago confirm these data.

From the VIVASAN databank:

Gincolin dragee is an effective dietary supplement with ginkgo biloba extract and vitamin C to improve blood supply to the brain, heart and strengthen memory.

OMEGA-3

Scientific studies show that omega-3 is essential for normal brain function, as it provides a quick supply of energy that helps to transmit impulses that carry a signal from one cell to another. It helps us to think more easily, store information in memory and retrieve it from there as needed. Recommended for migraine and nervous stress. This substance is necessary for the embryo developing in the mother's womb. In animal experiments, babies were found to have irreversible learning disabilities if their mothers lacked the essential omega-3 fatty acid.

Smega-3 fatty acid in fish dishes, fish oil or vitamin supplements increases the production of the LR11 protein, which prevents the action of starchy beta, which is toxic to brain neurons.

And low levels of this protein lead to oxidative stress in the brain and the formation of neurodegenerative disease, which includes signs of dementia, memory loss, etc.

Omega-3 fatty acid cannot be obtained from sources other than fish. It is very important for embryonic and infant cognitive development. Unfortunately, in Russia, not everyone has access to fresh sea fish, especially from the cold northern seas. In this case, the solution may be to take encapsulated fish oils produced from such fish.

From the VIVASAN databank:

Salmon oil in capsules "Vital plus" - contain at least 30% polyunsaturated fatty acids OMEGA-3

Dementia is a slow but systematic decline in a person's mental abilities. This process is accompanied by a decrease in cognitive abilities, deterioration of memory and concentration. Why this happens and what can be done in this case, we will discuss in the article.

Dementia causes a transformation of a person's personality. As a rule, such changes occur with age, mainly in people over 60 years of age. The disease progresses as short-term memory and learning abilities decline with aging. However, forgetfulness of an elderly person is not always a symptom of the disease. If a healthy elderly person can lose some details of a recent event from memory, then a person with dementia will completely forget about the event itself.

Sometimes dementia develops rapidly when brain cells die due to injury, serious illness or serious intoxication of the body.

Forms of the disease

1. Vascular dementia

A sudden decrease in the intensity of blood circulation in the brain is considered the main sign of the development of vascular dementia. Most often, the disease appears in the anamnesis of elderly people (from 60 to 75 years). Men suffer from dementia 1.5 - 2 times more often than women.

1. Senile dementia (senile dementia)

Causes of the disease

In other cases, dementia becomes a consequence of the underlying disease, in which damage to the cerebral cortex is secondary. These are various diseases of an infectious nature (meningitis, viral encephalitis), pathologies of the cardiovascular system (hypertension, atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels), head injuries or serious poisoning due to alcoholism.

Diseases such as complicated liver and kidney failure, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, AIDS, neurosyphilis can provoke the development of dementia.

Clinical picture of the disease

It is very difficult to recognize pathology at an early stage of development, therefore, suspicions of dementia appear only after a sharp deterioration in the patient's condition. An exacerbation occurs, as a rule, after a change in the environment familiar to a person or in the process of treating any somatic disease.

Dementia leaves an indelible imprint on a person's short-term and long-term memory. At the initial stage of the disease, the patient cannot remember the details of recent events, forgets what happened to him during the day, and has difficulty remembering phone numbers. As dementia develops, new information practically does not linger in the patient's memory, he remembers only well-memorized information. With a progressive illness, a person does not remember the names of his relatives, who he works for, and other details of his personal life. It is not uncommon for people with dementia to forget their own name.

The first "bells" of dementia is a violation of orientation in time and space. The patient can easily get lost on the street where his house stands.

Personality disorder manifests itself gradually. As dementia develops, the individual character traits of the patient become aggravated to the limit. The cheerful sanguine person becomes overly fussy and irritable, the pedantic and thrifty turns into a miser. A person suffering from dementia is very selfish and cold towards his loved ones, easily comes into conflict. Often, a sick person indulges in all serious things: he begins to wander or store all sorts of rubbish in his home. As the mental disorder worsens, slovenliness and uncleanliness appear more and more in the appearance of a person suffering from dementia.

Disorders of thinking in dementia are very severe: the ability to think adequately and logically disappears, abstraction and generalization atrophy. Speech skills gradually fade away, the vocabulary becomes very primitive, and in severe cases the patient stops talking altogether.

On the basis of dementia, delirium begins, the patient is obsessed with primitive and ridiculous ideas. For example, a sick woman may constantly look for a cat she never had. Males are often prone to delusions of jealousy.

The emotional state of the patient is unstable. Depression, tearfulness, aggressiveness, and anxiety predominate. In some cases, patients are too cheerful and carefree.

Diagnosis of a mental disorder

In some cases, magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography are used to confirm the diagnosis.

In order to have a complete picture of the patient's condition, the doctor takes into account his age, his family history, his living conditions, the presence of other serious diseases that can affect the development of dementia.

Treatment of the disease

All therapeutic methods of treatment are reduced to slowing down the development of dementia. If the disorder appeared on the basis of Alzheimer's disease, the drug Donepezil is used, which to some extent stops the course of the disease. Dementia caused by a repeated microstroke cannot be treated, but its development can be stopped by timely complex treatment of arterial hypertension.

There are still no ways to stop the progress of brain degradation due to AIDS. Strong excitation, often associated with severe cases of dementia, is removed with the help of neuroleptics (Haloperidol, Sonapax).

Prevention of dementia

• Monitor blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the blood - a pathological change in their indicators causes brain hypoxia.
• Monitor blood sugar levels annually - the strength of blood vessels and the health of brain neurons depend on this.
• Stop smoking and drink alcohol to a minimum (or better, give it up completely).
• Stimulate blood circulation: take daily walks, go swimming, do exercises regularly.
• Normalize your diet - let there be mostly healthy and nutritious food. Especially "loves" the brain seafood, raw vegetables and fruits, nuts, olive oil.
• Take medicines only as prescribed by your doctor.
• Make it a rule to always and everywhere increase the level of your intelligence. Alzheimer's disease (hence, dementia) bypasses educated people with an inquisitive mind. Solve crossword puzzles, collect thousands of puzzles, read, sign up for dances or drawing courses from scratch. Do not forget about the beautiful: classical music concerts and theatrical performances are always waiting for you, if you wish!
• Do not give up an active social position. Communicate a lot, especially pay attention to the social circle, which includes people younger than you. Believe me, they always have something to learn.
• Find a hobby or spend more time on a hobby you already have.
• Hurry up to live and love life - it's too short to get sick!

Good afternoon friends. Today I have an interesting topic and it applies to any age. “All diseases are from nerves” is a golden proverb, and here is another confirmation of this.
Stress and nervousness undermine health, reduce years of life, but if in youth the body reacts to a stressful situation with a loss of productivity, then in old age, stress and grief can cause dementia. Let's look at a live example.

Stress and nervousness in old age masquerades as dementia, affects memory and thinking, but this kind of dementia can be cured

Let's look at life history.

45-year-old Pavel: “After the death of my father, my 79-year-old mother stopped coping with everyday life, got confused, did not close the door, lost documents, and several times could not find her apartment in the entrance.”

As expected, Paul went to the doctor. “Dementia in old age is rather one of the norms of this age,” such is the verdict of a specialist. The neuropathologist prescribed drugs to restore brain activity, vascular drugs, and, in general, they improved the general condition of my mother, but not by much. And since the woman could not live alone, Paul hired a nurse.

“Mom often cried, her condition was depressed, she often sat in one position, probably, these are experiences due to the loss of her husband,” Pavel reasoned.

Pavel invited another specialist, and he summed it up like this: “There are senile problems, but my mother has severe depression.” The doctor prescribed sedative therapy, and after two months of treatment, the woman began to recover.
Mom became interested in the kitchen, began to cook her favorite dishes herself, and even began to swear with the nurse, as she herself began to take up housekeeping.

“Mom suddenly showed interest in the kitchen, became more active, cooked my favorite dishes, her eyes became meaningful again”

In general, this story ended with the mother becoming a completely independent woman who could well serve herself, so Pavel decided to fire the nurse because of uselessness. Most of the woman's cognitive functions were restored, dementia (dementia) partially receded. This is such a wonderful and inspiring story.

Older people often hide from relatives that they are stressed.

Yes, yes, that's how it usually happens. Firstly, they do not want to upset us and burden those close to us with their problems, secondly, they do not want to appear helpless in the eyes of others, and thirdly, many older people believe that depression in old age is the norm. So, dear relatives, pay attention to your older generation and this table will help you.

SUMMING UP

Depression and anxiety affect a person's memory and thinking, and in old age can even cause dementia. But if prolonged depression is treated in time, many cognitive functions can be restored. And yet - not all doctors know about it.

Stress in young people causes life stupor or negatively affects productivity

Many young people complain that: “Everything falls out of my hands, I can’t concentrate on anything, my memory is gone and my efficiency tends to zero.” They go to the doctor with such symptoms and there they learn that the loss of productivity can be associated with stress or depression.

STORY

“I look at the computer and see a set of letters” Alexander, 35 years old

Increased blood pressure and decreased productivity began to be treated with pills, including “for memory”, but the situation has not changed. Then Alexander was sent to a psychiatrist.

“I was afraid to go, I thought that they would recognize me as crazy and they would treat me so that I would become a “vegetable”.

But everything ended well. After a course of psychotherapy and treatment for stress, Alexander began to recover. Sleep returned to normal, memory and working capacity were restored, and after ten days of treatment, Alexander was discharged.

SUMMING UP

The emotional state and mental abilities of young people are directly related to each other. Sometimes it is enough to reduce the level of anxiety in order to restore your working capacity, memory and mental abilities.

IF YOU START TO NOTICE A DEGRADATION OF YOUR MENTAL ABILITIES THE FIRST THING YOU SHOULD DO THIS

Before you do an MRI of the brain and start taking memory pills, think: “Am I worried about something?”. As you already understood, the saying “all diseases are from the nerves” is the “correct” saying and it can explain a lot. Longing, tearfulness, self-doubt, feelings of loneliness, negative thoughts or self-flagellation are all markers of a nervous breakdown. If one of these points is yours, analyze the root cause of such a state and take measures to improve your mental state. If you are older, then stress or nervousness can cause a “dementia attack”, if you are young, then stress can cause a decrease in productivity or a deterioration in mental abilities.

But the good news is that with this type of illness, intellectual improvements will be noticeable within a couple of weeks after calming therapy.

Oleg Pletenchuk, based on materials from psychologies.ru

anonymously

Hello. I am 25. For the last 2 months I have been worried about the following: memory deterioration; decrease in mental performance. I work and study in the evening, I don't smoke, I don't abuse alcohol. Normal daily processes at work and study are given with great difficulty. Constant feeling of "emptiness" in the head. Often there is dizziness, insomnia and noise in the head. Also appeared irritability, nervousness, fatigue. A year ago, a similar situation was observed. All this lasted 3-4 months, and it was resolved by itself. In a normal state, "passed" 7-8 months and again the same picture. Addressed to the neurologist, have diagnosed a vegetative-vascular dystonia. Cerebrolysin was prescribed 10 injections, Cortexin 10 injections, Actovegin dropper 5 times, combilipen 5 injections. Noogeron 10 ml, 3 weeks (1st-5ml, 2nd-10ml, 3rd 10 ml). After the treatment, it did not become easier, on the contrary. Strong dizziness began from Noogeron. Conducted a number of examinations: 1) MRI of the brain. the results are as follows: On a series of MR tomograms, weighted by T1 and T2 in three projections, sub- and supratentorial structures were visualized. The lateral ventricles of the brain are of normal size and configuration. The size of the third ventricle is 0.5 cm. The fourth ventricle, the basal cisterns are not changed. The expansion of the sheets of the transparent septum in the posterior section up to 0.9 cm wide is determined. The chiasmal region is without features, the suprasellar cistern is enlarged, prolapses into the cavity of the Turkish saddle, the pituitary gland is up to 0.4 cm high. The pituitary tissue has a normal signal. Subarachnoid convexital space is expanded, mainly in the area of ​​the frontal, parietal lobes, lateral fissures. Median structures are not displaced. Cerebellar tonsils are usually located. Changes of focal and diffuse nature in the substance were not revealed. Conclusion: MR picture of external replacement hydrocephalus. Partially formed "empty" Turkish saddle. 2) ECHO EG: Mst=75mm, Mdt=75mm, Dbt=75mm, Ikk=140mm, III m=5-6ml. The displacement of the median structures of the brain is not observed. Pulsation, the number of signals is satisfactory. 3) EEG: Beta activity of low amplitude dominates. There is no activation reaction. Regional differences are not preserved. Hemispheric asymmetry was not revealed. Response to f-load moderate BSR was not detected. Conclusion: moderate diffuse changes in bioelectrical activity. 4) REG Amplitude of pulse blood filling in the carotid basin - sufficient, in the vertebrobasilar basin - sufficient Tone of medium and small caliber vessels - mixed dystonia syndrome Venous outflow - slowed down, Functional loads - APC in the VBB do not reduce Please tell me if it is set correctly diagnosis and what recommendations will help in my case?

Hello! The reason for your memory loss may be "a picture of external replacement hydrocephalus" In addition to congenital hydrocephalus, acquired hydrocephalus can also develop (most often in the first months of a newborn's life) after meningitis, meningoencephalitis, intoxication, etc. Violation of the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid leads to increased intracranial pressure. As a result of the pressure exerted on parts of the brain, vision begins to decrease, oculomotor disorders occur (strabismus, gaze paresis upwards (a symptom of the “setting sun”)), weakness in the upper and lower extremities. This can lead to gross neurological disorders, a decrease in intellectual abilities. A partially formed "empty" sella turcica is also the result of an increase in intracranial pressure. However, I would recommend contacting for additional examination. Thus, colleagues have provided you with high-quality effective treatment to improve nerve conduction and improve memory, you may need to add drugs and venotonics to reduce intracranial pressure and associated venous stasis, which lead to atrophy of the cerebral cortex and memory loss.

A common belief is that a person's intellectual abilities inevitably deteriorate with age. It is believed that after studying at school and graduating from the institute, we learn the bulk of knowledge, the main work skills we get up to 30-35 years, and then a decline necessarily begins. We believe it and... we are afraid. But do people really get dumber with age?

The first thing I would like to note is that the feeling that you have become stupid is irrational, like any feeling. Some real facts can serve as an impetus for it, but it would be hasty to draw conclusions on its basis. So let's look at the scientific evidence.

What happens to the brain as a person grows up? In infants and young children, brain development occurs at its highest rate. For the first time, neural connections are established, which will later become the basis of habitual adult skills - walking, speaking, reading and writing. But is it possible to say that the average baby is smarter than a student?

Here, by the way, is the first fact: the high intensity of processes in the brain does not yet mean the highest intellectual abilities. The baby develops so actively because he needs to have time to lay the "base" for the future life. The same can be said about schoolchildren and even students.

The last grades of school and the time of studying at the institute (that is, between the ages of about 15 and 25) really have a peak in the ability to remember new information and master unfamiliar subject areas. This is partly due to the biochemical processes in the brain: nerve cells begin to gradually die off after 20 years.

Although, as studies have shown, the volume of dead cells is insignificant and really practically does not affect the thinking abilities of a person, especially considering that the number of neurons themselves is only 10 percent of the total brain volume. But there are other reasons: the less knowledge we have, the easier our brain absorbs it, like a sponge.

And with age, when we have already accumulated a certain baggage of information and developed critical thinking, any new information must be tested (whether it is consistent with the rest of our knowledge, whether it contradicts it) and "integrate" into the existing picture of the world.

It is not surprising that a forty-year-old person will need more time to assimilate the same amount of new information than a twenty-year-old person. . But his intellectual resources will be more active at the same time: he will do the work not only of memorizing new information, but also subjecting them to critical reflection and refreshing all previous knowledge related to this topic.

Moreover, scientists have already refuted the postulate that with the end of adolescence and the beginning of adulthood, the brain loses its ability to plasticity - the formation of new nerve cells and connections between them. Studies of the brain activity of people who have had a stroke have proven that the adult brain is able to produce neurons and establish new connections between them.

There is another psychological factor: the more we learn, the less significant the increase in new knowledge seems to be. A first-year student who has studied for six months feels incredibly wiser compared to the school period. A person receiving a second higher education or taking advanced training courses no longer feels such euphoria, although he does no less mental work.

However, there is some truth to the assumption that many people get dumber with age. And it consists in this: intellectual abilities need training. Getting an education (which is laid down by the standard "social" program), we voluntarily or involuntarily "train" our neurons.

And then everything depends only on us: on the choice of work, leisure, breadth of views on life, the number of books read ... Moreover, the development of the brain occurs not only during intellectual work - its work is also beneficially influenced by a variety of impressions.

That is, "training the brain" is not only reading new books, but also mastering new sports, traveling to places where you have never been, learning to play board games - whatever.

And here the psychological factor also plays a significant role: one who considers such leisure "childish" and unworthy of a respectable adult, or one who does not want to act as a beginner, preferring to always and in everything be on top, in the long run significantly reduces his mental development.

Observing the conditions of "training the brain", with age you will be able to observe not a decrease, but even an increase in intellectual capabilities, experts say. If the main advantage of students and young people is the speed of assimilation of new information, then middle-aged people are most productive where they can use their accumulated knowledge and experience, primarily in the professional field.

After 30-35 years, a person's level of analytical abilities increases, as well as self-esteem increases, which favorably affects many areas of activity - from the quality of communication skills to the effectiveness of solving problems in a team.