Transcript

Event Date(s): 07/05/2012 | Event Location(s): New York City, New York | Description: INT NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK Today Show anchor Natalie Morales is joined by Dr. Roshini Raj NATALIE MORALES, co-host: This morning on TODAY'S WOMAN forgetfulness. Whether it's "mommy brain" or constantly misplacing your car keys, we're all guilty of it at one time or another. So what could you do to improve your memory? TODAY contributor Dr. Roshini Raj is also a contributing medical editor for Health magazine. Dr. Raj, good to see you. Dr. ROSHINI RAJ (Today Contributor): Great to see you, Natalie. MORALES: So you're going to give us--me--start me off with a little brain teaser this morning. Dr. RAJ: That's right. So this is something we do in the office to get a really quick check of memory function. MORALES: Mm-hmm. Dr. RAJ: So I'm going to tell you three words. MORALES: Mm-hmm. Dr. RAJ: I want you to pay attention, and at the end of the segment I'm going to ask you if you remember them. All right? MORALES: OK. Dr. RAJ: So, camera, universe and hockey stick. MORALES: OK. Dr. RAJ: All right? MORALES: Got it. Dr. RAJ: So let's get into it. MORALES: OK, let's get into it. A lot of us, I think, have complained about memory loss during pregnancy. Dr. RAJ: Yes. MORALES: I know I suffered from it. I think I still suffer from it... Dr. RAJ: Right. MORALES: ...being not pregnant. Is it a real thing, though? Dr. RAJ: Well, the so called mommy brain, if you ask a bunch of women they will tell you, yes, it's absolutely real; but actually the scientific research doesn't truly support that in the sense that when you give pregnant women memory tests most of them do pretty well and there aren't actual changes that occur in the brain during pregnancy. MORALES: Mm-hmm. Dr. RAJ: However--and I mean, permanent changes. However, it is a time of surging hormones so that can absolutely affect mood and even memory. But I think the bigger reason is that when you're pregnant, and certainly once you have small children, you are multitasking, you're not sleeping well. MORALES: Right. Dr. RAJ: You are very stressed. And all of those things can affect your memory, so absolutely moms and pregnant women do report having more trouble with memory. But is there truly a physiologic change going on? Probably not. Which is good news. MORALES: Yeah, that's good. Dr. RAJ; We don't want to have too many changes there. MORALES: You say there are four factors, though, that do contribute to memory loss. Dr. RAJ: That's right. MORALES: So let's get to them. First thing being stress. So what does stress have to do with memory loss? Dr. RAJ: Well, when you're under chronic stress, you're exposed to a hormone called cortisol. And this hormone with chronic exposure can actually cause changes in your brain. We know it can affect things like heart disease, obesity... MORALES: Mm-hmm. Dr. RAJ: ...but also memory. So it is very important if you are under stress--which many women are, we're juggling so many things, whether it's our kids, taking care of our parents, careers--to manage that stress because that can really help improve your memory. And how do you manage stress? Well, it's easier said than done. MORALES: Right. Dr. RAJ: But one tried and true method is meditation. It actually is very helpful. It's been proven in clinical studies to reduce stress. So whether it's 20 or 30 minutes a day, deep breathing exercises, you know. You can do yoga if you want. But really attack the stress, don't ignore it, because it can have absolute physical and mental consequences. MORALES: All right. Next you say also estrogen influx. It can also change your memory, as well, right? Dr. RAJ: That's right. So estrogen has many protective effects for women and one of the things that it protects is our brain and our memory function. MORALES: Mm-hmm. Dr. RAJ: So women, especially who are going through menopause when there is a fallen estrogen, can experience, you know, fairly significant memory issues. Now usually this is somewhat temporary because once you sort of adjust to the new hormone levels, the memory, you know, improves. MORALES: Mm-hmm. Dr. RAJ: But if your really suffering from this, talk to your doctor about possible short-term hormone replacement. That could make a big difference. MORALES: All right. Another thing is weight gain. Dr. RAJ: Right. MORALES: And weight gain can typically trigger some sort of memory loss, as well. Now what's the relation there? Dr. RAJ: That's right. It's interesting because obesity, as we know, can cause a whole host of medical issues. MORALES: Right. Dr. RAJ: But now we're finding that it can actually worsen your brain function. So one study showed that the higher your BMI is, the lower you would score on memory tests. So one more reason to make sure you're at a healthy weight, get your weight under control. MORALES: Mm-hmm. Dr. RAJ: And that could help. MORALES: Sleep troubles. As you mentioned, lack of sleep. Dr. RAJ: Yeah. MORALES: Which we all experience. So maybe that's part of my--the reason for my memory loss half the time, right? Dr. RAJ: Probably, probably. This is a big one. Absolutely sleep deprivation can affect your memory. And you'll find that when your--when you have not had a good nights sleep, the next day you're forgetting things, you're not able to function as well mentally. So getting those, you know, six to eight hours at least is very important. MORALES: All right, find some time there to get some rest. Dr. RAJ: That's right. MORALES: Also you say you can exercise your brain to help better your memory. What are some activities that you can be doing to help? Dr. RAJ: Well, it's--absolutely right. Just like we want to exercise the muscles of our body, we need to exercise our brain to ward off dementia and even more minor memory issues. MORALES: Mm-hmm. Dr. RAJ: So one things that's great is dancing. Dancing is wonderful because not only is it exercise but you're having to coordinate, you know, your muscles and your limbs in different ways that you're not used to. It's a great way to boost memory. MORALES: Mm-hmm. Dr. RAJ: Exercise in general is wonderful for your brain. It has been shown to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's. Doing something you're not usually normally used to doing. So if you're right-handed, using your left hand to brush your teeth or comb your hair. Books, reading is wonderful... MORALES: Yeah. Dr. RAJ: ...because it, you know, stimulates your brain. But also in a social level because we know socializing helps improve memory. MORALES: Yeah. Dr. RAJ: So doing a book club, for example, where you're reading but you're also discussing it with your friends. All of these things can exercise your brain and help protect your memory. TEXT: Protect Your Memory Memory Woes Solved Dance Work Out Learn a Language Join a Book Club Cross-train MORALES: Also doing crossword puzzles, brain teasers. Dr. RAJ: Yes. MORALES: So going back to that brain teaser, right? Let's see if I remember those. Dr. RAJ: OK, what are those three words? MORALES: Because I've been thinking about it through whole segment I actually remind it. Dr. RAJ: You were stressed. MORALES: It's camera. Dr. RAJ: Uh-huh. MORALES: Universe. Dr. RAJ: Very good. MORALES: Hockey stick. Dr. RAJ: You did it. Excellent. Great job. MORALES: Woo! That's only because I knew I was being quizzed. Dr. RAJ: Ah, you're such a good student, Natalie. MORALES: I know. Dr. RAJ: (Unintelligible) MORALES: Dr. Roshini Raj, thanks so much. Dr. RAJ: Thank you.