Memory: definition, types, exercises, and evaluation

In many ways, our memories make us who we are; they are our essence as human beings. But for those memories to endure they rely on memory, a concept that, although familiar to everyone, we do not fully understand. In this article we will attempt to address it with greater precision.

What is memory?

It refers to a mental capacity whose function is to encode, store, and retrieve information. In other words, it allows us to keep inside us experiences such as feelings, events, images, or ideas. Ultimately, any element that belongs to our past.

It is a brain function that is essential for our learning and, therefore, for our survival. Thanks to it we can better adapt to the needs of our environment.

From a morphological point of view, memory is closely related to the hippocampus, but it should be noted that there are several brain regions that influence the process. It is interesting to mention that the meaning of words is stored in the right hemisphere, childhood memories are preserved in the temporal cortex, and the frontal lobes are in charge of perception and thought.

Types of memory

We have three different types, according to Richard Atkinson and Richard Shiffrin’s multi-store theory, which states that information passes through different stores as it is processed. Therefore, we make the following division.

Sensory memory

Short-lived, it records information through the senses. It processes a large number of stimuli, which remain for the time necessary for selection and identification for later processing.

Short-term memory

Also known as working memory. Its capacity is limited, able to retain few items for a short period of time. This type is broken down into four parts.

• Visuospatial sketchpad. It is responsible for the active maintenance of information (images). It would take place, for example, when learning a route.
• Episodic buffer. It is a system specialized in integrating information coming from different sources. In this way, it represents visual, verbal, spatial, and temporal information.
• Phonological loop. It operates with verbal information. It facilitates the maintenance of the internal speech process involved in short-term memory, as occurs when we memorize a phone number.
• Central executive. Its purpose is to control and regulate the working memory system.

Long-term memory

It is the one that allows us to retain information for the longest time. Within this we distinguish between four types.

• Explicit memory. It is the conscious storage of information. It is present in the recognition of people, places, things, and what that entails.
• Semantic memory. It comprises all the general knowledge we have gathered throughout our lives. It is required for the use of language. An example would be knowing that Rome is the capital of Italy.
• Episodic memory. It is characterized by the recall of events or personal experiences such as the day of our wedding.
• Implicit memory. It is the unconscious storage of information. It refers to actions we do automatically, such as riding a bicycle.

How to work on memory?

Sometimes we forget certain things like a person’s name or where we left our phone. Often these are mere lapses, but if the frequency of these events increases it may be a sign of cognitive decline. Fortunately, we can improve the functioning of our memory through training. If exercised frequently, it is possible to enhance it and even prevent its decline.

There are different exercises that allow training this mental process.

Reading

Reading is highly recommended, as it helps stimulate different areas of the brain among which is memory. In addition, it increases storage capacity and fosters the creation of new neural connections. Reading is to memory what running is to a runner.

Chess

Playing chess is beneficial, as it stimulates the hippocampus and improves communication between the different hemispheres due to the neuronal change that activates a set of brain pathways. In other words, we become experts at prolonged information retention.

New knowledge

Learning promotes new synaptic connections, thus strengthening our brain. Taking up a new activity such as learning to play an instrument is beneficial because it keeps our mind active.

Looking at photographs

The exercise consists of looking at images and trying to remember the events linked to them. It is a simple and very useful practice. It should be noted that the older the photo, the greater the challenge.

Hobbies

Reasoning games like Sudoku or crosswords are both fun and beneficial. They enhance and reinforce memory as well as other areas such as language or calculation.

Assessment and cognitive stimulation

Seeing a specialist in case of cognitive decline is essential. The professional will put their experience at your service to find the best method to work on memory through cognitive stimulation.

Cognitive stimulation brings together all those activities aimed at maintaining or improving mental functioning and slowing decline through different exercises with the help of stimulation programs. At NeuronUP we offer a wide variety of cognitive stimulation exercises focused on memory training.

Associated with episodic memory, one of the exercises is “Animal Pairs”, which consists of finding the pairs among a set of face-down cards. In addition, it allows working on working memory and selective attention. Another activity, in this case related to semantic memory, is “Common Items” which is based on selecting a series of specific elements from a group of stimuli.

If you liked this article about the memory, you may also be interested in:

“This article has been translated. Link to the original article in Spanish:”
La memoria: definición, tipos, ejercicios y evaluación