Endorphins: Endorphins and serotonin are both glandular chemicals. Researchers have been investigating their relationships with the euphoric feelings associated with exercise.
After being released by the pituitary gland, endorphin attaches itself to specific receptor sites in the brain and affects the brain's perception of pain. For this reason, endorphins are also known as "natural painkillers". In addition, endorphins also appear to affect mood, memory retention, and learning. Release of endorphins is increased when the body is under stress and pain, e.g., during prolonged exercise. It is unclear, however, if the elevated level of endorphin release is responsible for the positive mood change experienced during an exercise high.
First of all, it is too difficult to measure the amount of endorphins released into the brain to distinguish their effect from the effect of other factors. Secondly, the relationship between endorphins and happy feelings is not clear. If endorphins are indeed responsible for mood changes, do they always induce a positive mood or simply a mood change, which can be negative? It is estimated that only about 10% of the people who exercise ever experience a high. There are people who do not experience exercise-related mood changes. Still, there are others who actually report negative emotions during exercise. Research in this area has just begun.
For information on endorphins, try these links:
WebMD ~ Chronic Pain ~ chronic pain and endorphins
Endorphins 101
Endorphins . . . . The Feel-Good Molecules
EndorphinsFor information on memory:Human Memory
Memory
The Long and the Short of Memory
Human Memory: Techniques and Tricks to Improve Memory
Old Brains Can Learn New Tricks
And some general information I found that might be of interest:Walking keeps women's brains young:May 11, 2001 -- Women who walk regularly are less likely to experience cognitive decline. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, studied 5,925 women aged 65 or older over six to eight years. Those who walked the least were most likely to suffer cognitive decline. The group found a dose relationship: a little exercise is good, but a lot is very good.
Every brain feels pain differently:July 13, 2001 -- Some people are better at suppressing pain than others, and now researchers are closer to understanding why. Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System and School of dentistry subjected healthy people to sustained jaw muscle pain while they scanned their brains. They also had people rate their pain. This is the first study to combine brain scans with subjective ratings. The sensation of pain releases endorphins, or endogenous opioids, that hook on to receptors on the surface of brain cells, which helps block pain messages from spreading from the body to the brain. Emotional and sensation-processing regions - amygdala, thalamus, hypothalamus, frontal cortex and the nucleus accumbens - were most affected. As endorphin levels increased, ratings of pain fell, as did pain-related emotions. However, even though the computer system ensured that everybody experienced the same level of pain, everybody's opioid level was different. Some people had lots of anti-pain receptors, others had fewer, and every brain releases different quantities of anti-pain chemicals.
Multitasking slows us down:
Aug. 10, 2001 -- There's scientific evidence that it's better to do one thing at a time rather than three things at once. The prefrontal cortex and other key areas of the brain handle tasks like browsing the Web, piloting an aircraft and talking on a cell phone while driving. When doing two things, those parts of the brain repeatedly switch from one task to another. To find out how fast people can do that, researchers ran four experiments that had subjects switching between math problems and classifying geometric objects, for instance. Everybody lost time when moving from one task to another, with lost time increasing with the complexity of the problem. That also happened when the task was unfamiliar. Researchers concluded that activating the rules required for each task takes several tenths of a second. Which means that multitasking, in the end, takes more time than doing one thing at a time.
How to slow inevitable memory loss:Aug. 24, 2001 -- Psychologist Denise Park says that, according to her research, memory starts to decline when we hit the mid-20s. It's such a gradual and steady decline, though, that we don't generally notice it until much later in life, in the mid-60s. That's when memory and learning impairments become clear. The more experience and knowledge, as measured by vocabulary, we can accumulate up to our 50s, the less noticeable the decline will be. Dr. Park directs the Center for Aging and Cognition at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research.
A new way to preserve memory:Sept. 18, 2001 - There's a way for people over 65 to stay as sharp as they were in their 20s. Memory breaks down into two parts: a fact or item being remembered, and the context of the fact or thing. A fact might be that you parked your car in the parking lot. The context would be where the car is: on the south side of the most distant shopping-cart coralle, for example. People whose frontal lobes don't function well have trouble with context, or what researchers are calling "source memory." Not all people over 65 have this kind of memory problem, and those who do can improve their memory by focusing on context as well as the facts. For the full study click here:
Source: Memory in Older Adults: An Encoding or Retrieval Problem?Menopause May Cause Memory LossMany menopausal women have problems with short-term memory - like forgetting where they last put their car keys or eyeglasses, missing appointments they didn't remember, or losing the end of a thought when speaking or writing.
These may be due to a busy lifestyle and/or stress at home or work. Notably, several medical studies have shown distinct differences in memory in women who have active ovaries producing estrogen or are taking estrogen replacement therapy compared to women with low levels of estrogen due to menopause.
* To help yourself out, use Post It notes or carry a notepad to write down the daily activities you need to do.
* Taking your time will also help you to recall tasks and words you were about to say.
* Meditation is a good way to learn focusing techniques.
If memory lapses are interfering with your quality of life talk with your doctor about it and possible treatment options.
Hypertension or high blood pressure can cause short term memory loss.Patients with high blood pressure scored worse on tests for short term memory. (from the National Institutes of Health)
If you want to take a short term memory test, try these links:Short Term Memory Test ~ Words
Short Term Memory Test ~ Pictures
Online Short Term Memory Games
Recognition Penny Game
Short Term Memory Encoding and RehersalFinally, here is a list to help you prepare to speak to your doctor about your memory loss:1. Possible Medication Interactions - If you take even two medications, you may be experiencing dizziness, memory loss, or other symptoms due to medication interactions. Make a list (print it & you can use the form below) and be sure to tell your physician about all substances you are taking, including:
Prescription Medications:
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Vitamins:
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Herbal supplements:
______________________________________________
Over the counter products (such as aspirin and cold medicine):
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Smoking cessation products:
______________________________________________
Water and weight loss products:
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Topical Items (such as arthritis ointment, athlete's foot treatment, etc.):
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Other Items:
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
* Be sure to be thorough, because even things that we don't think about (such as arthritis ointment) can contain substances that can cause problems for some people.
* Your doctor may need to work with you over time or may need to change your prescriptions and over the counter products in order to rule out medication interactions. Of course, this may not solve your problem, but it is an important thing to rule out.
2. Effect of Weight Loss/Gain & Medications - If you have recently gained or lost even 10 pounds, you should ask your doctor to check your medication levels.
* Some medications are prescribed according to our weight and losing or gaining weight may mean that you have too much or too little medication in your body for your size, and you may experience a variety of symptoms.
* Use the list above and share it with your physician.
* Be sure to alert your doctor to weight changes and have them adjust your medications if necessary.
3. Symptoms from Dehydration - If you are dehydrated or malnourished, your body may not be processing your medications correctly.
* You probably know that water is an important element in our bodies. Water is also necessary for our body to digest food and to dissolve and metabolize medications properly. However, many of us do not get enough water and dehydration among older adults is common.
* In talking with your doctor about your symptoms, be sure to alert your physician of any bouts of diarrhea, vomiting, and heat exhaustion you have recently experienced.
* Ask your physician to ensure that you are not dehydrated, because if you are, the medications in your system may be more concentrated than appropriate and your body may not be metabolizing your medicines correctly.
* If you are dehydrated, your physician will work with you to ensure proper hydration and that your medication levels are appropriate.
4. Falls & Concussions - If you have fallen or hit your head recently, you could have a concussion which can result in sudden memory loss, dizziness, etc.
* Although you may not realize it, a recent fall or serious bump on the head may be the cause of your memory problems. Falls among older adults are common and sometimes, people fall and do not know if they hit their head or even if they were unconscious for any period of time.
* Be sure to tell your doctor about any recent falls or serious bumps on your head so that your doctor can rule out concussions and other potential problems that can arise from such events.
* Your doctor may do a series of tests to see if there is anything that needs to be done and if so, he/she will do what is necessary to address the problem.
5. Depression - Depression is a common problem among older adults and affects as many as one in five older people. The symptoms of depression are remarkably similar to those of dementia.
* Physicians often mistake depression for dementia, so be sure to ask for specific tests to rule out depression. Blood tests and neurological and psychological evaluations are generally necessary to rule out depression.
* Depression can have many different triggers such as loss, significant life changes, and side effects of medications. Your physician should address all possible underlying causes of depression.
* Don't be afraid to ask for a depression screening, as many older people experience the symptoms of depression but are unaware that they have a treatable condition. Remember that depression is treatable.
6. Alcohol Use - Consuming too much alcohol, or drinking alcohol while taking certain medications may result in symptoms of memory loss.
* Be sure to tell your physician if you drink alcohol on a regular basis, or if you experienced symptoms after an occasional drink.
* Use the list above to advise your physician of any medications and treatments you use and carefully follow your physician's advice in regards to the use of alcohol.
