I just released a new book, Blame Game. How To Win It. Although it is based more on general psychological principles, one of the five chapters explains how learning and memory changes the brain, chemically and structurally, and thus provides a way to change behavior permanently. The book's thesis is a five-step program for living the good life. Think of it as "debt relief" for the high costs of excuse-making. Prominent psychologists have endorsed the pre-publication version. Check it out at Amazon or at your local bookstore (official release date is July 24).

Updating Existing Memories Also Requires Consolidation

As a newly forming memory develops (see chapter on memory consolidation in my book), it is susceptible to disruption by mind wandering, other stimuli, distractions, etc. When a new memory is retrieved, a re-consolidation process will be required if updated information needs to be incorporated. Such re-consolidation involves a new round of protein synthesis in brain cells, similar to that which is needed to make the initial learning a lasting memory. Likewise, a re-consolidation process must be protected from disruptive influences if the updated information is to be integrated and consolidated with the original learning.

There is good news and bad news here. The good news is that new information can update and be integrated with old memories. Recall also my earlier post on the possible use of this principle with treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Syndrome. The bad news is that old memories become vulnerable to corruption with each new re-consolidation, leading perhaps to false memories. My book has a whole chapter on false memory.

Source: Rodriguez-Ortiz, C. J. et al. 2005. Spatial memory undergoes post-retrieval consolidation only if updating information is acquired. Soc. Neuroscience Abstract 654.20.

Omega 3 May Reduce Odds of Alzheimer’s Disease

In mice, rats, and cultured human cells, an omega-3 fatty acid found in algae called docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, was found to decrease an important risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease. DHA increases the production of a protein vital to clearing the brain of the enzymes that make the beta amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's patients are known to have reduced levels of this protein that normally would clear the plaque-making enzymes. This data suggest that long-term use of DHA supplements might help people reduce the odds of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

The National Institutes of Health is now funding a multi-million dollar clinical study on the effects of vegetarian DHA from microalgae in slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease. This DHA is a vegetarian form of omega-3, which supports brain, eye and cardiovascular health throughout life. I have mentioned the value for omega 3 in an earlier blog. Most people don’t get enough omega 3 in their diet. But it is not just the amount of DHA that is important, but also its ratio to another fatty acid, omega 6. A typical Western diet produces a ratio ranging from 1:10 to 1:30, where ideally it should be 1:5 to 1:3.

Fish oil is the usual source of DHA, but the algae source is vegetarian and may have fewer ocean contaminants. It is made by the Martek Biosciences Corporation (http://www.martek.com/).

Source:

Ma, Qie-Lan, et al. 2007. Omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid increases SorLA/LR11, a sorting protein with reduced expression in sporadic Alzheimer's Disease (AD): Relevance to AD prevention. Journal of Neuroscience, 27(52):14299-14307.