HPW 3C1 Living and Working with Children Mrs. Filinov

Types of Memory Memory takes many different forms. We know that when we store a

memory, we are storing information. What that information is and how long we retain it determines what

type of memory it is. The biggest categories of memory are short-term memory (or

working memory) and long-term memory, based on the amount of time the memory is stored.

Short-Term Memory  Short-term memory—closely

related to "working memory"—is like a receptionist for the brain.

Is responsible for storing information temporarily and determining if it will be dismissed or transferred on to long-term memory.

This process takes your short-term memory less than a minute to complete. For example, it is helping you right

now by storing information from the beginning of this sentence, so that you can make sense of the end of it.

More recently, scientists have begun to dive a little deeper into "short-term" brain functions and have added a separate (but similar) type of memory, "working" memory.

This ability to hold on to a piece of information temporarily in order to complete a task is specifically human.

It causes certain regions of the brain to become very active, in particular the pre-frontal lobe.

This region, at the very front of the brain, is highly developed in humans.

It is the reason that we have such high, upright foreheads, compared with the receding foreheads of our cousins the apes

Working Memory vs. Short-Term Memory

Working memory is a newer concept than short-term memory.

Working memory emphasizes the brain's manipulation of information it receives (using it, storing it, and so on), while short-term memory is a more passive concept.

Working memory is often thought of as the brain's "scratch pad" that keeps information – a number, name, or whatever else – on hand just long enough to use.

Age and Short-Term Memory As we grow older, the amount of

time our short-term memory can store information becomes shorter and shorter.

Age, and other clinical conditions, makes us more likely to have trouble keeping up with certain tasks, like remembering which button to push in a bank's phone menu.

It also gives our brains less time to successfully move new information to long-term memory, making us more likely to forget details of recent events. Memory lapses and cognitive decline are a normal part of aging.

You can work towards slowing down the process by maintaining a brain-healthy lifestyle and keeping your memory active.

The Brain and the Long-Term memory Information is transferred

from short-term memory (also known as working memory) to long-term memory through the hippocampus, so named because its shape resembles the curved tail of a seahorse (hippokampos in Greek).

The hippocampus is a very old part of the cortex, evolutionarily, and is located in the inner fold of the temporal lobe.

Long-Term Memory Long-term memory is our brain's

system for storing, managing, and retrieving information.

Long-term memory is anything you remember that happened more than a few minutes ago.

They can last for just a few days, or for many years.

Long-term memories aren't all of equal strength.

Stronger memories enable you to recall an event, procedure, or fact on demand.

For example, that Paris is the capital of France.

Weaker memories often come to mind only through prompting or reminding.

Long-term memory isn't static. You do not imprint a memory

and leave it as if untouched. Instead, you often revise the

memory over time—perhaps by merging it with another memory or incorporating what others tell you about the memory.

As a result, your memories are not strictly constant, and are not always reliable.

Forms of Long –Term Memories

Explicit memories Implicit memories

Explicit memories are those that you consciously remember, such as an event in your life or a particular fact

Implicit memories are those that you do without thinking about, like riding a bike—you once learned how, and you remembered how, but now do it without conscious thought.

Improving Memory How well you remember something

depends, in part, on how quickly and clearly your senses take in the experience as it happens.

If your brain records what you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell with perfect precision, it can recall them better later.

In many people with poorer memory, the fundamental problem lies in the brain’s ability to record sensory information clearly—not its ability to “remember.”

When it comes to improving memory, it’s essential to speed up and sharpen the brain’s ability to process what you take in through your senses.

Vision and listening are most important, since in many memories what you see and hear makes up most of the memory.

Memory Lapses People of all ages experience

inconvenient—and sometimes embarrassing—memory lapses.

Who hasn't forgotten where they parked their car? But when older people are forgetful, many begin to worry that the slip-ups are precursors of Alzheimer's Disease (AD).

Memory loss happens to all adults, and only in some cases does it signal a serious condition.

Common causes of memory loss in maturity.Normal Age-Related Cognitive Changes 

Studies confirm that the ability to remember details about our experiences often declines as we get older.

This process actually begins as early as age 30, though it accelerates and becomes more noticeable after age 50.

These cognitive changes are part of normal aging.

Recent research has indicated that keeping your mind engaged in new and challenging activities can help to prevent or reverse this normal "cognitive decline."

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)

Is a term that's used to describe a more serious kind of memory decline.

Like those aging normally, people with MCI may complain their memory isn't what it used to be, and their loved ones might agree.

But in addition to these general complaints, they also do worse on certain memory tests compared to others in their age group

People with MCI do not show impaired judgment.

For some people, MCI represents a transitional period between the mild and manageable memory problems associated with normal aging

Alzheimer's Disease 

Alzheimer's is the most common type of dementia. Currently an estimated 4.5 million Americans are afflicted with the disease

AD has been divided into mild, moderate and severe stages that correspond to behavioral and physical changes.

Cognitive symptoms that became more and more noticeable in the mild stage of the disease increase dramatically in the next stage.

The moderate stage is also characterized by personality and emotional changes that may be challenging for caregivers to manage.

In the final stage, physical problems dominate. Patients are unable to speak or walk, and they become incontinent

Other forms of dementia 

Dementia is a general term for a number of conditions that result in severe cognitive deterioration.

In addition to AD, other common dementing conditions include multi-infarct dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies.

About 10% of suspected dementias are reversible.

Depression, drug toxicity, hypothyroidism, benign brain tumor, and Vitamin B12 deficiency are some of the causes of reversible dementia.

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