Incidences such as forgetting where you put your keys or whether you took your vitamin today make many people edgy if they occur repeatedly. With 4.5 million people in the United States diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2000, with a projection of 13.2 million people in 2050 as reported in the "Archives of Neurology," it's little wonder that many people are looking for ways to stave off the loss of short-term memory. Many are looking at exercise as a solution.
Changes in short-term memory are not always indications of Alzheimer's disease. There are no scientifically proven preventive measures or cures for Alzheimer's disease, but there are activities that assist in the maintenance and improvement of short-term memory.
Short-term memory differs from long-term memory in both the capacity of information able to be remembered and the duration of time for which that information will be kept. Encyclopedia.com reports that, in general, short-term memory can hold five to nine units of information for a duration of 20 seconds to one minute. At that point, the information is either discarded or moved into long-term memory.
Expert Insight
Numerous studies have been conducted that measure the effect of physical activity and exercise on cognitive function, one portion of which is memory. One such study, published in the "Archives of Internal Medicine," was titled "A Prospective Study of Physical Activity and Cognitive Decline in Elderly Women." This research measured the effect of physical activity on the cognitive function of over 5,000 elderly women over a period of six to eight years. Reported conclusions were that even moderate physical activity decreased the risk of cognitive decline in study participants. Study authors noted that factors such as a healthy lifestyle and decreased cardiovascular disease may also have played a part in the study outcome and suggest further research is needed to conclusively determine the effect of exercise and cognitive function.
Further Insight
Fewer studies have been developed to measure specifically the influence of exercise on short-term memory, as of December 2010. One such study published in the "Journal of Sports Science and Medicine" in February 2008 concluded that exercise "did not facilitate" short-term memory. This study was undertaken with 18 participants who were in their early 20s.
Significance
Science must develop and perform additional testing and methods to fully evaluate the positive relationship between exercise and cognitive function, including short-term memory. A review of studies conducted in this area up to 2006 was published in the June 2006 edition of the "Journal of Applied Physiology" and concluded that the research performed through that time established a positive relationship between physical activity and "the aging brain." While reporting that more research needs to be performed, study authors point out "physical exercise or physical activities promotes brain and cognitive vitality well into older adulthood."
Daily physical activity of at least 30 minutes, even if done in shorter intervals throughout the day to total 30 minutes, is already recommended by health care professionals to improve and maintain physical health. An added bonus is that this same exercise also promotes---or prevents the decline of---cognitive function.
References
- Archives of Neurology: Alzheimer Disease in the U.S. Population
- Encyclopedia.com: Memory
- "Archives of Internal Medicine": A Prospective Study of Physical Activity and Cognitive Decline in Elderly Women; Kristine Yaffe, M.D., et al.; July 2001
- "Journal of Sports Sciences"; Effects of Acute Exercise on Executive Processing, Short-term and Long-term Memory; K. Coles, et al.; February 2008
- "Journal of Applied Physiology"; Exercise, Cognition, and the Aging Brain; Arthur F. Kramer, et al.; June 2006
