Loss of Focus and Concentration in Older Adults

I was discussing with my mom recently the fact she and I both find it hard to focus and to concentrate as easily as we used to.  (Mom is 97, I'm 74).  I mentioned to her that when I read a book I often have to close my bedroom door, as I find the noise from the TV in another room very distracting.  There was a time when I could read and listen to music with no problem.  She mentioned that she no longer drives with the radio on, as she finds it very distracting.  I have noticed the same thing.  If I am carrying on a conversation while driving, my driving suffers.  It's alarming when you first notice it, but it is normal.

Older adults appear more easily distracted by irrelevant information than younger people when they experience stress or powerful emotions -- and a specific network in the brain recently identified as the epicenter for Alzheimer's and dementia may be to blame.

A USC-led study finds that seniors' attention shortfall is associated with the locus coeruleus, a tiny region of the brainstem that connects to many other parts of the brain. The locus coeruleus helps focus brain activity during periods of stress or excitement.

Increased distractibility is a sign of cognitive aging, said senior author Mara Mather, an expert on memory and professor at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. The study found that older adults are even more susceptible to distraction under stress, or emotional arousal, indicating that the nucleus's ability to intensify focus weakens over time.

Can we do anything to slow down the process or get back the focus we had when we were younger?  Yes, we can do some things, but we will probably never have the focus we had when we were young.  Accepting the fact that you are older and this happens to everyone is not the answer.  It happens quickly to some people, more slowly to others.  The key is to continue to do things that are hard for you, that cause you to challenge your brain and focus.  Do not give tasks to others that you are capable of doing.  For example, balancing your check book may be more difficult for you now, but don't give up doing it.  Keep at it.  It's good for your brain, good to challenge your brain.  Often when with a group of people, there may be more than one conversation taking place.  You may find it hard to concentrate on your conversation with the distraction of another.  Work at it, focus on the people you are talking to.  It's good for you!

In another blog I will give you some actual exercises that can be done to help focus and concentration.  The old saying, "Use it or lose it" applies to our ability to focus.  The more you work at it, the less likely you are to lose it.