There are diametrically opposed views on memory-enhancing drugs. Some say that it is useful and helps to deal with increased intellectual stress, that it really helps and effectively.
Others say it's just a myth that there's no benefit to taking these drugs, that it can even be harmful and addictive to these drugs. Let's try to look at both points of view in more detail and find out who is right.
A little about memory
Memory is a mental function of the higher nervous activity, with the help of which the accumulation, storage and reproduction of previously received information takes place. Memory allows you to store for a long time information about the outside world or the body's reactions to any impact, and also allows you to use this information for the proper organization of activities in the future.
Memory includes several different but related processes.
- Save- enter new data, sensations.
- Storage- the accumulation of data, sensations, includes their processing and assimilation. This process allows a person to learn, develop his thinking and speech.
- Play and recognize- update elements, actions, feelings from the past. Reproduction is involuntary (the elements "float" in a person's mind without his will and effort) and arbitrary.
- Forgetting- loss of ability to play and recognize items that were previously memorized. It can be temporary or permanent. Incomplete forgetting occurs when information is reproduced or recognized by mistake or in part.
Basic memory types
There are many types and subtypes in memory classification. Let's talk about its main types.
- Sensory memory- saving information from the senses after stimulation.
- Tactile memory- storage of information from receptors as a result of touch.
- Engine Memory- While storing motion information, many may remember that there are movements that they perform automatically.
- Semantic memory- save information about facts, such as learned stories, dates, multiplication table.
- Short-term memory- save information for a short time. It has a small volume.
- Long-term memory- saving information indefinitely, including a lifetime.
Laws of Memory
Few people know that there are a number of laws of memory. This is not the author's invention, but real-life models established and scientifically proven.
- Repetition Law- information is remembered much better if repeated several times.
- Law of Interest- if a person is interested in information, he will remember it faster and better.
- The Law of the Edge- the information given at the beginning and end is best remembered.
- The Law of Understanding- if the information has been deeply understood, then it will be better remembered.
- The law of optimal line length- the amount of stored information should not exceed the amount of short-term memory.
- Installation Law- a person who has set up the installation that needs to remember this or that information will remember it faster and better.
- Law of Inhibition- when memorizing such concepts, the old information "overlaps" with the new.
- The Law of Context- memorizing things that can be related to already known concepts becomes faster.
- Law of Action- if what is remembered is used in practice, then memorization becomes more efficient and faster.
These laws can be used if you want to memorize something faster and better, as well as train your memory.
Causes of memory loss
- Organic brain damage- acute cerebrovascular accident, traumatic brain injury, brain tumor.
- Diseases of other organs and systems- diseases of the liver, cardiovascular system.
- External factors- bad ecology, abrupt change in environmental conditions, stress, sleep disorders.
- Age-related changes in brain structure- reduction in the number of interneuronal connections.
- Chronic intoxication- smoking, drug use, substance abuse, alcoholism, drug abuse (sedatives, tranquilizers).
Treatment of memory disorders
If memory improvement is needed, medications are not prescribed immediately. First they try to apply non-drug methods. These include:
- Quick walks in the fresh air. This increases the access of oxygen to the brain. This improves the efficiency of his work.
- Normalize sleepand wakefulness.
- Evening training- the habit of remembering all the events of the day in reverse order, that is, in the first place, to remember what happened in the evening, and in the end - the morning events, can becomein unusual training. It is better to do this before going to bed.
- Positive attitude, don't stop there- don't think you have a bad memory, no one has undone the effect of self-hypnosis. If at some point you can't remember something, then don't worry, don't get angry, just get distracted, do something else, and then try to remember again what you forgot.
- Daily learning- solve crosswords, puzzles, scanwords.
- Education- learn poetry, foreign languages, do it regularly, gradually increase the amount of material you learn.
Memory Loss Remedy
It is clear that learning poetry, a foreign language, solving puzzles is not easy, you have to "strain", for walking and solving puzzles you have to spend extra time, which the working person practically does not have. .
It's much easier to take a pill, calm down and hope for the magical power of the medicine - your memory will improve immediately and you won't have to do anything! The modern city dweller is so lazy and spoiled by the fruits of civilization that now few people are so focused and want to devote their time and energy to training memory. So one is looking for an answer to the question - what pills to improve memory exist?
So, let's look at two opposing views on this:
Positive opinion
Proponents of the use of these drugs say that a number of drugs help to improve the blood supply to brain cells, thus improving their nutrition and supplying more oxygen, which improves metabolic processes in neurons.Nootropics and drugs that improve the rheological properties of the blood help with this.
Herbal preparations have become widespread, which not only improve metabolic processes in neurons themselves, but also enhance the effect of nootropic drugs.
But it should be remembered that each (absolutely each) drug has its own contraindications and side effects, so it should be prescribed only by a doctor in each specific clinical case.
Negative opinion
According to a number of experts, the coin also has a drawback. A few years ago, experts were puzzled by the question - are these drugs effective or is it just a placebo effect?
As a result of numerous studies, the effectiveness of nootropics has not been proven. There is no evidence that they have a beneficial effect on memory. One small study on the effectiveness of drugs has shown that they have little effect, but not in severe cases.
Traditional methods and herbal preparations such as ginseng, vitamin E have virtually no research. The evidence base is only for the use of herbal medicines in patients with dementia. But there are no data on the effectiveness of use in relatively healthy people.
In conclusion, I would like to say that when you think about what drugs are best for improving memory, remember that they should be prescribed by a doctor. And the doctor must also evaluate the effectiveness in each case. Do not rely on advice from friends, neighbors or relatives.
If you think your memory has deteriorated, see a neurologist. Maybe this is not the problem at all, attention may be distorted, there may be other problems. It is also necessary to determine the cause of this condition. And this can only be done by a qualified doctor.