IN North America, there’s a delightful little bird called the mountain chickadee – a small creature weighing only 15 grams, with an extraordinary talent for finding food it has hidden in thousands of places across the landscape in preparation for winter.
How do they remember where they’ve stored their food, and what exactly they’ve stored in each place? How do they know which seeds will benefit their bodies at a particular time?
It all comes down to their brain – about the size of a raspberry – and a part called the hippocampus, which plays a key role in memory.
Remarkably, the neurons in that part of the brain enlarge during the colder months, enhancing memory to recall where all their food is hidden. Then, in summer, the hippocampus shrinks back.
So, what does this have to do with a column for seniors?
The hippocampus is a small but vital part of the human brain responsible for memory and learning. It’s especially vulnerable to damage from underlying conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, making it a critical structure in cognitive aging.
As we age, increased oxidative stress and neuroinflammation can alter gene expression and signaling in the hippocampus. That’s when we start forgetting things we used to recall easily.
We also know that as life expectancy increases, so too does the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases, placing a growing burden on individuals, families, and the healthcare system.
The memory centre of our brain is extremely important. It allows us to carry out daily tasks – finding where food is stored in the supermarket, knowing how to pay and how much change to expect, remembering which cupboard or fridge to put groceries in once we get home.
It helps us start the car, drive home, and operate the controls without conscious thought.
We rarely stop to think about these things. Our brain takes care of them … until it can’t. And that’s when the trouble begins.
The hippocampus is crucial for learning and consolidating memories and, unfortunately, it’s particularly susceptible to aging.
According to Google, “studies have shown that obesity is also a risk factor for cognitive decline”.
Our learning capacity, memory processing speed, and spatial awareness may deteriorate as we age. However, it’s encouraging to know that other abilities – like verbal skills and abstract reasoning – can actually improve with age.
Still, some cognitive abilities do decline. You might find it harder to recall names, phone numbers, or recent events. This is sometimes described as brain fog – a general sense of mental cloudiness where memory doesn’t feel as sharp.
If you notice these symptoms persisting – or if your partner has noticed changes in you – it’s wise to speak with your GP.
