Memory: Use It, Lose It - Can We Fix It?
Tuesday
21 February 2006
19:00 - 20:30
We often joke about losing our memory when we misplace the car keys or forget someone's name. And although our mental abilities start to fade after our 20s, most of us get along pretty well for several more decades.
As we age, we begin to worry, understandably, about the frequencies of these memories lapses, to wonder if they signal Alzheimer's. Memory loss is a huge burden to those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's, often turning loved ones into strangers. Degenerative diseases are becoming increasingly prevalent. By the age of 80, one in five individuals in Britain suffers from Alzheimer's.
Yet it is still a mystery to scientists that people who are active, more intelligent and intellectually stimulated seem better able to ward of mental decline. The idea that some people have a cognitive reserve' is, however, controversial.
And what about enhancing memory in our youth? Is the hype surrounding the development of so-called smart drugs overblown? Will people use them to help pass an exam, or will these drugs promise to change how we view ourselves, our families, and our memories?
In this session, leading scientists will discuss the science behind memory. They'll address questions such as: What drugs are available to treat cognitive deterioration? Are these drugs being used (or abused) by the healthy in order to improve normal cognitive function?
Imagine the fear, loneliness and confusion that people who have lost their memory feel. Two of them will describe what it is really like and how they cope.
Event organised by
The European Dana Alliance for the Brain and the BIOS Centre, London School of Economics and Political Science.
As we age, we begin to worry, understandably, about the frequencies of these memories lapses, to wonder if they signal Alzheimer's. Memory loss is a huge burden to those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's, often turning loved ones into strangers. Degenerative diseases are becoming increasingly prevalent. By the age of 80, one in five individuals in Britain suffers from Alzheimer's.
Yet it is still a mystery to scientists that people who are active, more intelligent and intellectually stimulated seem better able to ward of mental decline. The idea that some people have a cognitive reserve' is, however, controversial.
And what about enhancing memory in our youth? Is the hype surrounding the development of so-called smart drugs overblown? Will people use them to help pass an exam, or will these drugs promise to change how we view ourselves, our families, and our memories?
In this session, leading scientists will discuss the science behind memory. They'll address questions such as: What drugs are available to treat cognitive deterioration? Are these drugs being used (or abused) by the healthy in order to improve normal cognitive function?
Imagine the fear, loneliness and confusion that people who have lost their memory feel. Two of them will describe what it is really like and how they cope.
Event organised by
The European Dana Alliance for the Brain and the BIOS Centre, London School of Economics and Political Science.