Transcript Short - term and long

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.
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Short-Term Memory
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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 shortterm memory less than a minute
to complete.
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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.
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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
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Working memory is a
newer concept than shortterm memory.
Working memory
emphasizes the brain's
manipulation of information
it receives (using it, storing
it, and so on), while shortterm 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
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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
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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 isn't
static.
 You do not imprint a memory
and leave it as if untouched.
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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.
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Long-term memory is our brain's
system for storing, managing, and
retrieving information.
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Long-term memory is anything you
remember that happened more than a
few minutes ago.
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They can last for just a few days, or for
many years.
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Long-term memories aren't all of equal
strength.
Stronger memories enable you to
recall an event, procedure, or fact on
demand.
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For example, that Paris is the capital of
France.
Weaker memories often come to mind
only through prompting or reminding.
Forms of Long –Term Memories
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Explicit memories are
those that you
consciously remember,
such as an event in your
life or a particular fact
Explicit memories
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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.
Implicit memories
Improving Memory
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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
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People of all ages experience
inconvenient—and sometimes
embarrassing—memory lapses.
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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).
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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
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Studies confirm that the ability to
remember details about our
experiences often declines as we get
older.
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This process actually begins as early
as age 30, though it accelerates and
becomes more noticeable after age 50.
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These cognitive changes are part of
normal aging.
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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)
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Is a term that's used to describe a
more serious kind of memory
decline.
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Like those aging normally, people
with MCI may complain their
memory isn't what it used to be,
and their loved ones might agree.
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But in addition to these general
complaints, they also do worse on
certain memory tests compared to
others in their age group
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People with MCI do not show
impaired judgment.
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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.
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Cognitive symptoms that
became more and more
noticeable in the mild stage of
the disease increase
dramatically in the next stage.
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The moderate stage is also
characterized by personality
and emotional changes that
may be challenging for
caregivers to manage.
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In the final stage, physical
problems dominate. Patients
are unable to speak or walk,
and they become incontinent
Other forms of dementia
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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.
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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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