Modern pharmacology offers a fairly wide range of drugs to improve memory.However, experts have a radically different opinions about how effective a variety of means to improve memory are, and whether it is worth taking them to those who want to improve cognitive functions.
There is an opinion that drugs to improve memory and brain function allow you to overcome the consequences of too strong intellectual loads and activate memory.But some other experts confidently protect the opposite thesis: there is no benefit from such drugs, their effectiveness is nothing more than a myth born as a result of active advertising.Moreover, there are opinions that such drugs can cause addiction and have a negative effect on the body.Below we will talk about the principle of the action of such drugs and the evidence of both sides of the dispute regarding their effect on the human body.
What is memory?
Human memory is a function of the highest nervous activity, with the help of which the information data obtained earlier is accumulated and reproduced.It is the memory that makes it possible to preserve for a long time the information received in the outside world, or data on the body's reactions to certain events.This allows you to use this information in order to act correctly in the future.
The concept of "memory" includes different, interconnected processes.
- The process of memorization- “Introduction” of new data, feelings.
- Data storage- accumulation, including the process of processing information and its assimilation.This makes it possible to study, actively develop thinking, speech.
- Reproduction of information and recognition- Memory allows you to actualize actions and sensations from a past life.Reproduction can be involuntary when certain elements or sensations are involuntarily manifested in memory, as well as arbitrary.
- Forgetting- The loss of the opportunity to recognize and play the data that a person remembered earlier.This condition can be both temporary and constant.Sometimes, with incomplete oblivion, the data is recognized and reproduced partially or erroneously.
Types of memory
There are a lot of types and subtypes of memory.
Below are its main varieties:
- Tactile- Information is stored from receptors, as a result of touch.
- Sensory- Information is stored due to stimulation of the sensory organs.
- Semantic- data on facts - dates, tables, numbers, poems and the like are saved.
- Motor- Data on movements, as a result, many people make some movements automatically.
- Short -term- The information is stored for a short period of time, it has a small amount.
- Long -term- Information is stored for a long period, sometimes all life.
On the laws of memory
There are some patterns that can be quite justified by the laws of memory.Their correctness was proved by scientists in the process of numerous studies.
- The law of interest-Its essence is that a person is always much faster and better remembers the information that really interests him.
- The law of repetition- The data is easier to remember if they were repeated several times.
- The law of understanding- After the information has been deeply comprehended and considered, it is better off in memory.
- The law of the region- In memory, the information that was heard at the very beginning and at the end is better “crashes” better.
- The law of braking- If there is a need to remember similar concepts, then the old data will “overlap” new ones.
- The law of optimal length- The amount of data that needs to be remembered should not exceed the amount of short -term memory.
- The law of context-Remembering any things is much easier if they are associated with concepts that are already familiar to a person.
- Law of action- It is more effective and easier to remember what a person puts in practice.
- The law of installation- To be easier and faster to remember certain data, it is necessary to give yourself a clear installation to do this.
All these rules can and should be put into practice-if there is a need to remember something quickly.It is also advisable to use them for the purpose of training memory.
Why is memory worsening?
Many people in a certain period of life begin to complain that they have a bad memory.Its deterioration may be associated with different reasons.And the answer to the question of how to improve memory depends on the factors that adversely affected it.
The reasons for this phenomenon can be as follows:
- Brain lesions of an organic brain-traumatic brain injury, acute violation of cerebral circulation, tumor.
- Diseases of other systems and organs - blood vessels, heart, liver.
- Changes in the brain associated with the age of a person - a decrease in the number of connections between neurons.
- The influence of external factors - stressful situations, the negative impact of the environment, poor sleep, cutting a change in existence, etc.
- Intoxication of a chronic nature - drug intake, smoking, alcoholism, toxicomania, excessive use of a number of drugs (tranquilizers, sedatives).
How to treat memory disorders?
If a person notes that for a certain period of time he has problems with memory and appeals to the doctor about this.In this situation, in this situation, they try to use a variety of non -drug methods.Sometimes they can significantly improve the condition.
These include:
- Frequent walks in the fresh air.You need to walk, walking quickly enough.In this case, more oxygen comes to the brain, which increases the efficiency of its work.
- Normalization of the daily routine.It is necessary to sleep enough time so that the body can fully rest and recover.
- "Training",which must be carried out in the evening.This is a kind of training, which provides that a person recalls in the reverse order everything that happened throughout the day - at first what happened in the evening, at the very end - the events of the morning.Such "training" is best done before bedtime.
- Positive mood.No need to think and tell everyone that memory fails you.After all, this is how a certain effect of self -hypnosis is triggered.Trying to unsuccessfully remember something, do not get angry with yourself and do not worry.You need to be distracted by something else, after which again try to remember the necessary information.Sometimes after a person is distracted, she “comes” by itself.
- Lack of stress.You need to try to avoid a variety of emotional shocks, as this negatively affects the condition of the brain.
- Proper nutrition and consumption of a sufficient amount of liquid.In the menu, you need to include products containing iodine, vitamins of group B. Water should be drunk in such quantities that urine always remains bright during the day.
- Training for the brain.Puzzles, crosswords, and other intellectual tasks should be solved every day.
- Constant training in something new.It is useful to learn foreign languages, poems, remember interesting phrases and the like.In this case, the volume of the material that is memorized must be constantly increased.
Memory improvement tablets
To practice the recommendations that were given above, time and desire are needed.Therefore, many people, especially those who work a lot, prefer to ask the doctor to write them tablets to improve memory and attention.Moreover, some people simply come to the pharmacy and ask them to sell any tablets for memory and attention, believing that the proposed drugs will improve cognitive functions.
However, it is not worth it to believe that the tablets that improve memory will immediately “take off” all problems.Moreover, there are different opinions of scientists about such funds.
Opinion: drugs to improve memory are effective
Many researchers argue that drugs that improve memory really effectively improve the supply of blood cells of the brain.As a result, their nutrition is activated, the flow of oxygen increases, and the metabolic processes in neurons improve.Some drugs to improve vision also activate the blood flow to the brain.
There are such drugs to improve memory and attention:
- Preparations for memory and attention - nootropics help to improve blood circulation in the brain.They are used to improve mental activity, eliminate disorders of the emotional sphere, in case of impaired cognitive functions, to improve the ability to learning and memory.
- Medicines that improve the rheological properties of blood.Preparations normalize the elasticity of red blood cells, reduce platelet aggregation.As a result, blood viscosity decreases.Provide vascular and metabolic exposure, enhance blood flow, since under the influence of such means the lumen of the vessels of the brain increases.
- Many choose medicines for memory and attention on a plant basis.Such drugs activate the metabolism in neurons, and also enhance the effect of nootropic agents.
- When applying to the deterioration of cognitive functions, patients are sometimes prescribed an amino acid participating in many biochemical reactions, as a result of which the GABA is formed.It is needed for the normal functioning of neurons and helps to improve the state of memory and attention.
Before applying any medical drug, it is important to contact a specialist, carefully study the instructions for use in order to know all contraindications and possible side effects.
Opinion: drugs to improve memory are ineffective
However, some experts argue that the use of such tools is based exclusively on the placebo effect.Trying to answer the question of whether the drugs for memory actually act, scientists have conducted a large number of studies.
As a result, the researchers could not prove the effectiveness of the influence of nootropics.
As for the amino acid, during the experiments it was possible to prove that it has a slight positive effect, but only if it is not about severe cases.
The effect of plant products based on ginseng, echinacea and other plants has also not been proven.There is only a number of evidence of the effectiveness of drugs for people suffering from dementia.However, confirmed data on its positive effects on the cognitive abilities of healthy people do not exist.
Conclusions
Thus, the most correct approach to the problem of improving memory is its independent training using a variety of methods and an appeal to a doctor, which can prescribe additional drug methods.But this is justified provided that the doctor individually approaches the problem and professionally determines the feasibility of using certain means.The specialist must also evaluate the severity of the action of a particular drug.
In no case should you be guided by the advice of friends or recommendations in reviews on the Internet.Those who feel that memory is deteriorating should go to an appointment with a neurologist.It will help to detect those problems as a result of which this happens, and will tell you how to eliminate them.