| y loss or amnesia is an uncommon forgetfulness that | | | | • Neurodegenerative illness |
| can happen due to brain damage. Illness, injury or | | | | • Head trauma or injury |
| extreme mental distress can be the causes of this | | | | • panic often along with by confusion |
| brain damage. Memory loss can be grouped using | | | | • Seizures |
| many criteria. Loss of memory can be classified into | | | | • common anesthetics like halothane, |
| permanent and temporary memory loss on the basis | | | | isoflurane, and fentanyl |
| of the time span of the memory loss. Memory loss is | | | | • Alcoholism |
| also sorted into short-term memory loss or long-term | | | | • Stroke or momentary ischemic attack (TIA) |
| memory loss depending on the nature of the | | | | • transitory universal amnesia |
| memory that gets affected. Memory loss can occur | | | | • Drugs like barbiturates or benzodiazepines |
| almost suddenly and can also take shape over a long | | | | • Electroconvulsive therapy (particularly on a |
| period of time. What causes memory loss? All of | | | | long-term basis) |
| them are caused due to specific reasons. | | | | • sequential lobe brain surgery |
| Long-term memory (LTM) is memory that is stored | | | | • Brain masses (occurs due to lump or |
| as meaning. It may remain for ages. It may also be | | | | infectivity) |
| very short lived, say, for only 30 seconds. Long-term | | | | • Herpes encephalitis |
| memory (LTM) is functionally and structurally | | | | • additional brain illness |
| different from working memory or short-term | | | | • dejection |
| memory. Working memory or short-term memory | | | | In these cases support from family members should |
| apparently retains information for only 30 seconds or | | | | be made available. The patient must be familiarized |
| so. Biologically, short-term memory is a short-lived | | | | with reality by providing familiar music, objects, or |
| potentiation of neural connections. By meaningfully | | | | photos. Some cases might need assistance for |
| correlating them and through rehearsals, short-term | | | | relearning. |
| memory can become long-term memory. It is | | | | Medication schedules should be written down so that |
| thought that by the long lasting enhancement of the | | | | there is no burden on memorizing. |
| neural connections short-term memories are stored | | | | Extensive amenities for care and treatment like |
| as LTM. The structure of neurons undergoes a | | | | nursing homes are a worthwhile consideration. They |
| physical change due to this. But the time required at | | | | are more needed for patients whose basic needs |
| each step of this memory processing is still being | | | | cannot be dealt in any other way and whose safety |
| studied. | | | | and nutrition are at a risk. |
| Tarnow's theory says that long-term memories are | | | | What causes short-term memory loss after naps? |
| retained in dream format. This is similar to the | | | | The rates of sensing of all the sensors are brought |
| discoveries of Penfield & Rasmussen which says | | | | down while sleeping. The stimulation margins are |
| that electrical excitations of cortex result in | | | | increased at this time. This allows the process of |
| experiences resembling dreams. | | | | transferring information to continue without any |
| It is important to find out what short-term memory | | | | disturbance. Only if some danger occurs or a threat |
| is. Scientists are investigating the brain and its | | | | signal is received this process might be interrupted. |
| functioning. We are getting to know how the brain | | | | Thus information from the sensors/surroundings is |
| processes and stores memory. We are also learning | | | | not received at this time. This allows the working |
| about ways to enhance these processes. | | | | memory to perform the transfer of data. It is similar |
| So what is short-term memory? | | | | to a sort of housekeeping. The working memory |
| The memory function in the brain which acutely | | | | redeems information from the temporary memory. |
| stores and processes events, images, data is known | | | | Then it compares this redeemed information with |
| as short-term memory. It is a kind of place for | | | | similar files stored earlier in the long-term memory. If |
| storage in our brain so that it can be decided | | | | any undesirable, duplicate or overlapping data is found |
| whether these memories are to be used promptly | | | | it is deleted. The data that is considered to be |
| and/or reserve them to long -term storage. | | | | relevant, new or updated is encoded and put into |
| Short-term memory functions as a filter as well as a | | | | long-term memory. The temporary memory stays in |
| workplace for the things we are processing. It is | | | | a state of only retrieving information at this time. |
| much easier to access and utilize information from | | | | Hence any brain activities like dreams are not |
| short-term memory than long-term memory. | | | | imprinted on to the temporary memory. The |
| What causes short-term memory and long term | | | | short-term/working memory store is the only |
| memory loss? | | | | memory store that can record brain activities |
| • Ageing | | | | consciously in this time period. |
| • Alzheimer's disease | | | | |