|
Articles
Memory Facts
Childhood Memory
False Memory
Lack of sleep
affects memory
Walk your way to
a better Brain
Wine and Brain
Negative
emotions affects memory
Memory Facts
In the simplest
language, memory can be
explained as a 3-container
storage device maintained by a
3-step operational procedure.
The storage device consists of
temporary container,
short-term container and
long-term container and the
operational procedure consist
of registration, retention and
retrieval.
Information enters the
temporary container through
the sensory organs (eyes,
ears, hands, nose and tongue).
This information is registered
here if attention is paid to
it or it is ignored, if it is
not paid any attention.
Registered information is
protected from interference by
other incoming sensory
information and processed for
onward transmission to the
short-term container.
The short-term container is
estimated to have a limited
capacity and a limited time
frame. Estimates for capacity
vary from 5 to 9 items ( 7 is
most common ) and estimates
for time-frame vary from 12 to
30 seconds ( 20 seconds is the
most common ). Information in
the short-term container can
be lost due to time factor or
can be corrupted due to entry
of similar information. The
duration of information can be
increased considerably by sub
vocally ( mentally ) repeating
the information.
The long-term container has
unlimited storage capacity and
perpetual time frame. It can
store a wide variety of
information that is totally
unrelated and there is no
expiry date.
Retention of information
stored in the long-term
container depends on how
systematically ( Registration
) the information is stored
and how frequently ( Revision
) the information is accessed.
Retrieval of information is
based on registration,
retention, comprehension,
emotion, uniqueness,
usefulness, interval etc.
Retrieval is faster if there
is similarity between
conditions existed at the time
of registration and at the
time of retrieval. The
relationship between
information to be retrieved
and other information in the
storage, also contributes
faster retrieval.
Back to top
Childhood Memory
Most people
cant remember events that
happened in their lives before
they were three and a half
years old. This is known as
‘Infantile amnesia’ and there
are different theories that
explain why it happens.
One theory suggests that even
though new-borns are born with
billions of neurons, the
connections between the
neurons start growing only
after nine months and active
growth takes place around 24
months. The connections
between neurons are important
for recalling any information.
But researcher Andrew Meltzoff
states that babies are capable
of learning even in the womb.
He proved that babies can
remember sounds to which they
were exposed to, while they
were still in the womb. If
that’s’ the case why cant we
remember what happened when we
were infants?
The most acceptable
explanation is that the memory
of all events is stored in our
brain and remains intact. We
are not able to access it,
when we want to, because the
connections between the
neurons were not active at the
time the events were stored.
Dr. Wilder Penfield, a pioneer
in brain research also proved
that ‘forgotten’ memories can
be rekindled by mild
electrical stimulation to the
neurons.
Back to top
False Memory
A false memory
is not the equivalent of a
false statement. The person
really believes what he says
even though the event never
happened.
Though memory is formed out of
a real experience, there are
times, when the brain is
fooled into concluding that a
vividly imagined event, is a
real experience. This is due
to the fact that an imagined
event produces the same
physiological changes in the
body and mind as that of a
real event.
The issue of false memory
assumed significance when a
lot of cases were filed in the
US courts by ‘victims’ who
‘recalled’ their traumatic
experience with the help of
their therapists. The courts
found it difficult not to
believe the ‘victims’
Elizabeth Loftus, a
psychologist who investigated
the phenomenon proved that it
is possible to find out
whether the memory was formed
after a real experience or an
imagined event by making
volunteers ‘recall’ things
that they never experienced.
Elizabeth Loftus has been
voted as the most influential
psychologists of all time.
Back to top
Lack of Sleep
affects Memory
Dr. Daniel Margoliash, a
researcher at the University
of Chicago found that the
brain could rescue lost memory
during sleep.
The volunteer who participated
in the study found their
memories letting them down at
the end of the day, but those
who slept well, could recall
better, the next morning.
The volunteers who
participated in the
experiment, were given words
which were created using a
speech symboliser, and then
asked to recall the words.
Their ability to recall
reduced significantly as the
day progressed and they forgot
many words by evening.
The volunteers who had a good
night’s sleep were able to
recall the words which they
forgot the previous evening.
Dr Daniel says, “ Sleep
consolidates memories and
protects them against
subsequent interference. Sleep
also appears to recover or
restore memories.”
Dr. Karim Naderm a
psychologist at McGill
University in Montreal holds a
similar view. He says “Sleep
helps some memories mature and
also prunes out some
unimportant memories.”
Back to top
Walk your way
to a Better Brain
Prof. Arthur Kramer and his
team at the University of
Illinois found that a mere
five percent improvement in
cardio-Vascular fitness,
resulted in a 15 percent
improvement in mental tests.
Ageing leads to reduced blood
flow to certain parts of the
brain; especially those areas
that control executive
functions such as planning,
decision making, memory etc.
Prof. Arthur studied 214
volunteers aged between 60 to
75, for a period of six
months. Half of the volunteers
did long walks, thrice a week
and the other half did toning
exercises using weights.
After six months when they
were tested, the volunteers
who took to walking, showed
marked improvement in the
mental tests, whereas the
volunteers who took to toning
exercises using weights had
built up only muscles, not
their brains.
The study reveals three
important facts.
1. Lack of exercises affects
both body and mind.
2.Improving the physical
function needs different
exercises and improving the
mental function needs
different exercises.
3. Its never too late to
exercise.
Back to top
Wine and Brain
A glass of wine can improve
the brain; according to
Alberto Bertelli; a scientist
at the University of Milan.
He found that a chemical
‘resveratrol’ a chemical found
in wine as well as grapes,
helps in the regeneration of
neurons. The chemical
stimulated the neurons into
prowing extensions, which in
turn helped in connecting with
each other.
The new discovery could artist
in the treatment of diseases
such as Alzheimer’s and
Parkinson’s as the main cause
of dementia and lack of muscle
coordination in these
conditions, is the breaking
down of links between the
neurons.
Previous research also had
suggested that moderate wine
consumption could prevent
neuro-degenerative diseases.
The curative property of
resveratrol against heart
diseases and upper respiratory
tract cancer has already been
established.
Back to top
Negative
emotions affect memory
People who often experience
negative emotions such as
anxiety and depression are 40
percent more likely to develop
memory problems than those who
are not prone to negative
emotions according to a
research published by the
American Academy of Neurology.
The study was conducted by Dr.
Robert Wilson of Rush
University, Chicago, involving
1256 people over a period of
12 years.
“People differ in how they
tend to experience and deal
with negative emotions. Over a
lifetime chronic experience of
stress affects the area of the
brain that governs stress
response. Unfortunately, that
part of the brain also
regulates memory”, says Dr.
Wilson.
An earlier study by Dr. Wilson
suggested that people who are
easily distressed are more
likely to develop Alzheimer’s
disease than people who are
more easygoing.
These studies reinforce the
traditional belief that a
positive mental attitude is
the best safeguard against
deterioration of mental
abilities.
Back to top
Back |
