How to improve our brain power and memory

 

                                        How to improve our brain power and memory

 

Brain is the main organ in our body which control all the mechanisms driven in our body. It is the most complex part in the body. This three-pound organ is the seat of intelligence, interpreter of the senses, initiator of body movement, and controller of behavior. Lying in its bony shell and washed by protective fluid, the brain is the source of all the qualities that define our humanity.

Brain has 10 billion neurons and the range of connections all the neurons in the brain could make would amount to one with 28 noughts after it. Our brain has enough atomic energy to build any of the world's major cities many times over. 

Brain can storage our memories. Memories are useful to us through out our life. We are running on our past memories. So and so If we can get good memory we can win our life. But always we loose our memory. The main parts of the brain involved with memory are the amygdala, the hippocampus, the cerebellum, and the prefrontal cortex. The amygdala is involved in fear and fear memories. The hippocampus is associated with declarative and episodic memory as well as recognition memory.

Do you know, estimated Brain memory capacity is 2.5 million gigabytes. So we can store lot of memories in our brain but it is hard.

There is difference types of memory.

The specialist term for mind and memory is called the mnestic function. Some things are easier to remember than other things. For example, important things are easier to remember than events that hold no meaning, and positive experiences are easier to remember than neutral experiences. Moreover, the process of remembering is easier in a prevailing positive mood, which also means that remembering things is more difficult in a state of fatigue or grief.

declarative memory (explicit memory)

              stores information that can be reproduced because we are conscious of the experience/information.

procedural memory (implicit memory)

              on the other hand, contains experiences for which one has no direct memory of the learning process. Still, this type of memory influences our behavior. The classic example is the process of learning a new language.

Sensory memory

              It is called as ultra-short-term memory. It receives stimuli from sensory organs in the form of neuronal excitation. This process has a duration of less than 1 second, and the perception can take place via the eyes or ears. The ultra-short-term memory via the eye is also referred to as iconic memory, and via the ears, echoic memory. It hasn’t capacity to storage.

Short-term memory (primary memory)

Memories in the primary memory (short-term memory) are available as long as we occupy ourselves with them. If that process is interrupted, the memory is lost too. Memories that begin in the primary memory can be available permanently, but only if they are transferred to long-term memory. It is assumed that short-term memory is a transit for experiences into long-term memory. The hippocampus is the place which can transfer short term memories to long term memories. Calcium has a major role in these processes. If there is a lesion in Hippocampus long term memory is lost. But short-term memory is intact.

Long-term memory

For storing memories in long-term memory, repetition is particularly important. This concept is easily understandable when one considers the high amount of repetition required to learn new movement patterns, e.g., when learning a new sport.

Working memory

stores information for immediate use as part of mental activity (i.e. learning or problem solving).

There are some networks to enhance and maintain our memory.

Semantic networks and spreading networks

• ·         semantic-connections
• ·         Information is stored in our long-term memory as an organized network.
• ·         Individual ideas or hubs are called nodes (i.e. cities on a map).
• ·         Nodes are connected by links or associations (i.e. roads between cities).
• ·         The strength of the association is related to how frequently and deeply the connection is made.
• ·         Processing material in different ways leads to the establishment of multiple connections.
• ·         Nodes are only activated once they reach a response threshold.
• ·         The response threshold is reached by the summation of input signals from multiple nodes.
• ·         Activation of a node leads to the stimulation of neighboring connecting nodes.
• ·         The activation of a few nodes can lead to a pattern of activation within the network that spreads inward (known as spreading activation).
• ·         It explains contextual cues, priming, and associations.

 

There are some process to aid in encoding memories.

§   Mnemonic is any technique for improving retention and retrieval from memory.

§  Rehearsal: use of the phonological loop

§  Chunking is a strategy that organizes information into discrete groups of data.

§  Hierarchies organize words or information into categories

§  Depth of processing: deeper level, semantic content leads to better recall

§  Acronym (i.e. AIDS, CD-ROM, FAQ)

Dual coding hypothesis indicates that it is easier to remember words with associated images.

• o   More connections made to the memory
• o   Deeper content

method-of-loci

The method of loci involves imagining moving through a familiar place and having stops or loci.

• ·         Items to be recalled are mentally associated with these physical locations or loci
• ·         Provides a deeper representation
• ·         Also known as the ‘Journey method’

Self-reference effect involves making new information personally relevant

 

·         E.g., “I live on Beatrice Ave…”

 

 

Best ways to improve our brain power and memory.

1.       Focus Your Attention

2.       Avoid Cramming

3.       Structure and Organize

4.       Utilize Mnemonic Devices

5.       Elaborate and Rehearse

6.       Visualize Concepts

7.       Relate New Information to Things You Already Know.

8.       Read Out Loud.

9.       Proper diet

10.   Meditation

 

What are the foods which are good for improve our brain functions.

• ·         Fatty Fish.
• ·         Coffee. If coffee is the highlight of your morning, you'll be glad to hear that it's good for you.
• ·         Blueberries.
• ·         Turmeric.
• ·         Broccoli.
• ·         Pumpkin Seeds.
• ·         Dark Chocolate.
• ·         Nuts.

 

Blueberries are packed with antioxidants that may delay brain aging and improve memory.