Should Seniors Worry About Memory Lapse?

Baby boomers like to call them 'seniors' moments'--those frustrating, momentary memory lapses when a normally sharp, agile mind suddenly goes blank. But what do these mental black holes actually mean when they happen to seniors? Are memory lapses nothing more than a fleeting neurological glitch or are they indicative of a much more serious condition?

Studying the significance of inconsistent memory has dominated the recent research of UVic psychologists Drs. David Hultsch, Esther Strauss and Michael Hunter. For nearly four years the trio has conducted a series of studies as part of Project MIND, their on-going research into "the ups and downs of mental functioning."

To better understand if memory inconsistency among healthy seniors is an indication of more serious neurological problems in the future, the Project MIND team needs volunteers--lots of them--willing to play some periodic mind games over the next four years.

To form a research group of 200 people, the researchers need to choose from a pool of 400 volunteers who are 65 or older and living independently. The researchers will visit the volunteers in their homes for two-hour sessions every two weeks over two months. During these visits, the volunteers will be asked to perform memory tests such as recalling stories or lists of words, performing exercises that record reaction times to simple signals, and completing some noninvasive physical tests such as blood pressure. Each year the five bi-weekly visits will be repeated. Volunteers will be invited to participate over four years to track how people change.

For further information about being a volunteer with Project MIND, please call 721-7549 or e-mail mindlab@uvic.ca

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