Memory

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

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Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Older Adults
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Every day, you have different experiences and you learn new things. Your brain cannot store all of that information, so it has to decide what is worth remembering. Memory is the process of storing and then remembering this information. There are different types of memory. Short-term memory stores information for a few seconds or minutes. Long-term memory stores it for a longer period of time.

Memory doesn't always work perfectly. As you grow older, it may take longer to remember things.

It's normal to forget things once in a while. We've all forgotten a name, where we put our keys, or if we locked the front door. If you are an older adult who forgets things more often than others your age, you may have mild cognitive impairment. Forgetting how to use your phone or find your way home may be signs of a more serious problem, such as:

• Alzheimer's disease
• Other types of dementia
• Stroke
• Depression
• Head injuries
• Blood clots or tumors in the brain
• Kidney, liver, or thyroid problems
• Reactions to certain medicines

If you're worried about your forgetfulness, see your health care provider.

NIH: National Institute on Aging

Start Here

• Understanding Memory Loss: What To Do When You Have Trouble Remembering (National Institute on Aging) - PDF

Diagnosis and Tests

• Cognitive Testing (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Memory Loss: When to Seek Help (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Memory Loss: 7 Tips to Improve Your Memory (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Ginkgo (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• Medications for Memory, Cognition, and Dementia-Related Behaviors (Alzheimer's Association)

Related Issues

• Brain Health (National Institute on Aging)
• Chemo Brain (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Well-Aged Mind: Maintaining Your Cognitive Health (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Amnesia (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Brain Fog (Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation) - PDF
• Dissociative Disorders (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Transient Global Amnesia (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

• NIH Scientists Try to Crack the Brain's Memory Codes (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Amnesia (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Memory (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Memory Disorders (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Sirtuin Proteins and Memory: A Promising Target in Alzheimer's Disease Therapy?
• Article: Quality Controls: The Role of Self-Corrective Science in Explorations of Primate...
• Article: Memory reactivation generates new, adaptive behaviours that reach beyond direct experience.
• Memory -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Agnosia (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Prosopagnosia (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Find an Expert

• National Institute of Mental Health Also in Spanish
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Also in Spanish
• National Institute on Aging Also in Spanish

Children

• Memory Matters (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Older Adults

• Memory, Forgetfulness, and Aging (National Institute on Aging) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Memory loss (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Mental status testing (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Remembering tips (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish