Understanding Memory & Memory Loss

Memory and the Brain

How Does Memory Work?

Our brains are amazing organs that help us understand and interact with the world. They let us store and recall information that we use for everything from learning to walk to driving a car or meeting new people. Think of our memory as a computer that saves and retrieves this information when needed.

Short Term Memory

Short term memory holds onto information for a brief time, like remembering a person’s name, phone number or grocery list. If we don’t need this information again soon, our brain clears it out, making room for new things. You can think of it as using sticky notes to remember short term details.

Long Term Memory

Long term memory stores information for the long haul like you would store a files in a filing cabinet. When we need to remember information often, like our home address or regularly remember skills like tying shoes or riding a bike, our brain keeps these memories handy whenever we need them.

Working Memory

Working memory helps us process information. Our brain analyzes a problem to see if we’ve solved it before. If we haven’t, it checks if we’ve encountered something similar to help us figure it out. For example, you may not know how to make a specific sandwich, but you’ve made other sandwiches before, so it is probably similar. This is how we problem-solve, think things through and interact with the world.

When Something Goes Wrong

Memory Problems

Memory issues can impact any part of the memory, including shorter term, long term or working memory. There can be problems storing the memory, retrieving the memory, misplacing the memory or losing the memory.

Everyone’s brain is unique, and we all have our own strengths and weaknesses. Whether it’s remembering names, learning a new instrument, playing a sport or doing math, some things come easily to some people while others find them challenging. So, when memory problems arise, they can look different in different people. This is because everyone’s “normal” is different and they can be problems in different types of memory functions.

Forgetfulness

It is normal to be forgetful sometimes, especially when impacted by stress, exhaustion or other lifestyle factors. For example, many people have gone to the grocery store, bought groceries and driven home only to realize they forgot the one thing they’d needed at the store.

Short Term Memory Problems

Short term memory problems are when someone struggles to remember new things, like where they parked or left their phone, but they can recall details from long ago like a childhood phone number or the name of their 2nd grade teacher.

Long Term Memory Problems

These problems affect memories that are deeply ingrained. For instance, someone might remember the name of someone they just met, but forget the name of the company they used to work for.

Working Memory Problems

These affect how we solve problems. For example, if someone was asked to bake a cake from a recipe, they might struggle to know how to assemble the ingredients and tools needed to complete the task.

What Can Impact Memory?

Memory problems can occur suddenly, known as acute, or they can develop slowly over time, known as progressive. Different conditions, diseases or injuries can lead to memory loss, and the treatment depends on the specific issue.

While many people automatically link memory problems with dementia, there are many different factors that can affect our memory.

As we get older, our brain changes, just like the rest of our body. Our reaction times can slow down, and we might have occasional memory lapses, like misplacing keys or forgetting appointments. It can also take longer to recall information. This is normal. However, if memory issues start to regularly affect daily life, it is important to talk to a doctor as it could be a sign of a more serious problem.

What we eat affects our brain’s ability to remember things. Just as a healthy breakfast is important for children in school, eating well throughout our lives helps keep our brain sharp. A lack of certain nutrients, especially vitamin B12 or thiamine (vitamin B1), can impact memory.

Any condition that affects the brain can also affect memory. In addition to types of dementia, this can also include strokes, blood clots, aneurysms, brain tumors or brain infections.

Injuries to the head, like concussions or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), can impact memory. This might be short-term, like memory immediately after an injury, or long-term, especially if there are repeated injuries. This is seen in some professional athletes or military veterans exposed to multiple explosions.

Mental health conditions, like depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, can affect memory. Depression is one of the most common conditions that may be mistaken for dementia. Both depression and anxiety make it harder for the brain to focus and think clearly, which can lead to forgetfulness. Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can also cause memory and focus problems that may look similar to dementia in some cases.

The abuse of alcohol or drugs can affect our brain and our ability to remember things.

Sleep deprivation or other sleep issues can impact our brain and memory. Sleep is especially important as during sleep your body works to turn short term memories into long term memories. As any new parent can tell you, being deprived of sleep makes remembering things very difficult.

Problems that affect our body’s metabolic system, like thyroid disorders, liver cirrhosis and kidney failure can all impact memory. Heavy metals in the blood from environmental exposure, like lead, arsenic and mercury, or certain genetic conditions can also cause memory issues.

Some chemotherapy drugs or radiation therapy near the brain can lead to memory problems.

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Understanding Dementia

Dementia is when serious memory problems occur and worsen progressively over time. It can impact different parts of a person’s memory as well as other functions controlled by the brain, such as language or personality.

Different Types of Dementia

While Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common and most recognized type of dementia, there are many different dementia diagnoses that impact the brain and memory in different ways. Learn more about what dementia is and the many different dementia diagnoses.

Learn More About Dementia

Understanding Dementia

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How Much Forgetfulness is Normal?

Concerned about memory changes for yourself or a loved-one? This quick self-assessment can help you decide if it is time to talk to your doctor.

Go to the Self-Assessment