The Different Types Of Brain Memory And What They Mean To You

Human brain memory is very amazing and it allows to sense information, filter it out and pay attention and to retain it in long term memory to recall it later. Many times comes even in a day course that you have to keep or store some information in head for few seconds. It may be a number or a persuasive argument which you have to carry for a time being. This is the time when you use your short term memory.

Human beings hold that information in this memory which is essential to accomplish something which they have planned to do. Certain regions of the brain particularly pre frontal lobe becomes very active to keep this short term memory. The information from short term memory or working memory transferred to long term memory through hippocampus. Hippocampus, located in temporal lobe is the old part of the cortex.

Memory is defined in psychology as the individual’s ability to store, retain and recall information and experiences. Now the question arises that how brain weaves a memory? Memories comprise many components such as sights, sounds, smells and tastes. Many researchers has reached to the result that the memories are processed by the hippocampus which is the brain memory center. Neurologists divided the memory into two types, Short term memory and long term memory.

The working memory or short term memory composed of three functions which are central executive and two slave system, the visuospatial sketch pad and phonological loop. The first part which is central executive is an attention controlling system and the second part of short term memory manipulates visual images and the last part of the short term memory stores and rehearses speech based information.

Long term memory is the memory storage system which has unlimited capacity to store and retain information for long period of time. Usually three different types of memories are included in it. One is procedural memory which represents skill learning. This is the memory which is without verbal mediation and it does not have any record. This memory includes learning such as how to drive a car or tie shoe laces. These memories are learned slowly but are much resistant to change or loss.

Declarative memory is for facts like memory to remember dates and names. It is quickly acquired and also lost quickly. Remote memory is the third type of memory and is acquired early. These are the basic memories upon which recent memories are built. These memories are not subject to alter or loss.

These both memories, short term or long term are composed of three processes of encoding, storage and retrieval. These three processes take place in different locations of the brain, simultaneously. The role of hippocampus is known in creating long term memory. But it is still not clear where this long term memory is stored. There is evidence that single brain memory is broken down into many elements and is stored in different places at once. There is a connection between human consciousness and memory. New theories and discoveries about the nature of memory and the mind workings are cropping up every day.