Treatment of memory loss in the elderly

Memory loss in the elderly has many potential causes. This is the age-related changes in the brain and the diseases that have accumulated over the past years, which affect the central nervous activity, and are characteristic of the old age of the disease.

Unlike the younger age, memory loss in the elderly, no matter how it may be treated, will still take place. Do not expect a complete memory recovery. But complex treatment can improve it, stop the progression of deterioration, and also save the elderly person the opportunity for a relatively comfortable quality of life.

Therapeutic measures are aimed at the causes of memory impairment and improving the conditions for the functioning of brain structures responsible for higher nervous activity.

Treatment of causes of

In old age, pathologies accumulate that potentially can lead to disturbances in the function of higher nervous activity, including memory disorders. These are diseases that, one way or another, contribute to temporary or permanent circulatory disorders in the brain, the hypoxia of its structures responsible for memory processes.

The main causes of memory loss in elderly people include:

• stroke of the brain;
• transient ischemic attacks.

If the foci of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke affect the frontal, temporal lobes, thalamus, hypocamp, the risk of memory impairment is particularly high.

Ischemic heart disease, heart failure often accompany the elderly. With these pathologies, the contractility of the heart suffers, the magnitude of cardiac output decreases. Then the organism redistributes the blood flow and the brain continues to receive a normal amount of blood due to the fact that it receives less tissue on the periphery( skin, intestines, limbs).But once this mechanism is exhausted. And the blood flow in the brain begins to suffer.

Hypertension is a frequent companion of old age. It not only leads to heart failure. The brain independently of the whole body regulates the magnitude of the lumen of blood vessels. However, the long-term hypertension leads to a violation of this regulation.

Important! To improve memory, it is necessary to achieve compensation for these pathologies. To do this, monitoring of blood pressure and correction of its medicines, drugs that optimize the work of the heart.

Respiratory failure, which can accompany cardiac or be independent, leads to the fact that the composition of blood flowing to the brain, contains less oxygen. Elimination of the causes of the pathological condition of the lungs often occurs with compensation of the heart.

Atherosclerotic plaques in the lumen of the vessels lead to a decrease in the lumen and to a limitation of the blood flow of the brain. It is recommended to carry out anti-atherosclerotic therapy, normalize the level of cholesterol in the blood, lipids.

Varicose disease of the lower extremities is the source of small blood clots that can enter the brain and clog capillaries and larger vessels. Turning off small blood vessels from the bloodstream leads to cerebral microinfarctions, large and medium - to a life threatening state. Recommended treatment of varicose veins, the use of drugs that reduce the viscosity of the blood.

In addition, memory loss in old age is due to a decrease in the number of neurons, as well as the weakening of synaptic connections between them, which conduct memory pulses.

It is believed that the disruption of the central nervous system as a whole and the loss of memory in old age, in particular, are a physiological pattern. Therefore, cerebroprictive drugs should be added to complex treatment. They are aimed at optimizing the consumption of oxygen and metabolism in neurons. These are:

• nootropics and neuroprotectors( Piracetam, Cerebrolysin).
• drugs that have an effect directly on the memory function( Alzepil, Glycine, preparations of Ginko biloba).
• vasoactive( vascular) drugs that improve the state of the vascular wall and its tone( Pentoxifylline, Trental).

The risk of Alzheimer's disease is higher in people whose relatives have had such a pathology. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this factor.

Type 2 diabetes also contributes to the formation of memory impairment. It is necessary to monitor blood sugar levels and correct it.

Abdominal obesity, hyperlipidemia contributes to the formation of memory impairment. Mandatory weight normalization and treatment of obesity.

The risk of memory impairment, as well as of other disorders of higher nervous activity, grows significantly when combined hypertension, heart failure, obesity, type 2 diabetes.

Often memory disorders in the elderly lead to stress, misunderstanding, conflicts with others. In such cases, the patience and warmth of relatives will help, perhaps a psychologist's consultation.

Memory and body training

It is believed that people engaged in mental work are less susceptible to memory problems. Even when it deteriorates, they are much easier to adapt to this. Therefore, in old age, different training of memory is recommended in the form of solving conversations, listening to the radio, solving crosswords, puzzles, reading, counting down.

Moderate physical activity leads to increased blood flow in the brain, improving blood saturation with oxygen. If memory is lost in the elderly, treatment should be comprehensive. It is aimed at reducing the manifestations of memory impairment, ensuring the relatively comfortable life of an elderly person within society.