Memory : Age and Memory

Memory performance may not decline with age as much as people think. Some studies show that visual memory skills decline with age but that verbal memory skills remain steady. Other studies show that people can compensate for decreased learning ability by drawing from their life experiences. Since older people have more experiences to draw from, they are better able to reconstruct a partially forgotten memory.



Probably the biggest thing that affects memory performance is mental activity. Elderly people who remain mentally active perform better on memory tests than those who do not exercise their mind on a regular basis. Use it or lose it!