It's Normal!?! 9/12/12

I was doing some research online concerning the 'fuzzy' brain activity I seem to experience these days.  Before I get into what I found, let me tell you a story about myself. 

A couple of years ago, I became really concerned about my memory loss.  I couldn't find things I just had in my hands, couldn't remember why I went into a room and even had trouble with names of people I know really well. 

After a career in rodeo, a stint as a stock car driver and racetrack jockey and a gymnastics instructor, it's safe to say that I have had at least 6 concussions in my lifetime.  I was worried that perhaps I was experiencing some type of brain function loss to to these injuries or possibly early-onset dementia.  I didn't want to tell anyone my fears but finally, on a phone call to my dearest friend, I blurted out my anxieties.  As I continued to cite one example after another, I heard her begin to giggle.  I must confess, I was a little insulted by that.  When she finally could speak through her laughter, she assured me that I wasn't going crazy, I didn't have a brain injury.  She was a teacher and she was around lots of women on a daily basis.  She said that every one of them past the age of 40 were experiencing that same thing.  "You're not going nuts,  You are just going through the 'change'.  It's normal."

NORMAL?  How could this be normal?

I've since done some research because (for one thing)  I've never been considered normal in all my life.  I've learned that the definition of normal is really hard to pin down.

Scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center and the University of Illinois at Chicago finally validated the claims of many women in their 40s and 50s who complained of "brain fog" or forgetfulness. 75 women from ages 40 to 60 were given an array of cognitive tests which not only confirmed the problem but also provided some explanation as to its occurrence and explained what is happening in the brain during menopause.

Miriam Weber, Ph.D., the neuropsychologist at the University of Rochester Medical Center who led the study explains :

"The most important thing to realize is that there really are some cognitive changes that occur during this phase in a woman's life ... If a woman approaching menopause feels she is having memory problems, no one should brush it off or attribute it to a jam-packed schedule. She can find comfort in knowing that there are new research findings that support her experience. She can view her experience as normal."

There's that Normal thing again!

Those who complained of a foggy memory did poorly on tests designed to gauge what is called "working memory", this gives a person the ability to take in new information as well as manipulate it mentally. An example might include adding up numbers in your head or adjusting an itinerary or schedule. Problems also included maintaining attention span on a long drive or getting through a long book.

"There really is something going on in the brain of a woman at this stage in her life ... There is substance to their complaints that their memory is a bit fuzzy."

Weber finishes with some advice for women experiencing these problems :

"When someone gives you a new piece of information, it might be helpful to repeat it out loud, or for you to say it back to the person to confirm it ... it will help you hold onto that information longer ... Make sure you have established that memory solidly in the brain ... You need to do a little more work to make sure the information gets into your brain permanently. It may help to realize that you shouldn't expect to be able to remember everything after hearing it just once."

Well,  that certainly made me feel better.  I wonder how much that study cost.  It's certainly going to slow down the communication when we have to repeat everything someone else says.

I don't really care how or why.  I just want someone to tell me what I can do about it.  I'm frustrated, I don't like being forgetful.  I've come to the point that I don't trust myself to remember important things.  Sometimes its comical,  like making a list for the store and then forgetting to take the list.  But sometimes it's degrading and embarrassing.  The other day I paid for gas then drove away from the pump without filling the tank.  Got quite a ways down the road and couldn't understand why the gas gauge was still on empty.  Not easy to go back in that store and tell them I forgot to get my gas.

It's somewhat comforting to know that we are not alone in this but also infuriating that a problem experienced by so many woman has not had the research done to find a cure or a solution.  So, I guess it's up to us.  Anyone out there have any 'treatments' you have tried?  Any success?  Any hope?