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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 awhile. We've all forgotten a name, where we put our keys, or if we locked the front door. If you are a senior who forget 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
Diagnosis and Tests
- 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)
Treatments and Therapies
-
Ginkgo
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Medications for Memory Loss (Alzheimer's Association)
Related Issues
- 4 Types of Foods that Boost Your Memory (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
- Chemo Brain (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
-
Sleep On It: How Snoozing Strengthens Memories
(National Institutes of Health)
Specifics
-
Agnosia
(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Amnesia (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Brain Fog (Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation) - PDF
- Dissociative Disorders (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
-
Prosopagnosia
(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Transient Global Amnesia (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Statistics and Research
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NIH Scientists Try to Crack the Brain's Memory Codes
(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Amnesia
(National Institutes of Health)
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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: Understanding Age, Memories, and How They Impact Aesthetic Practice.
- Article: Discrepancy Between Cerebral Structure and Cognitive Functioning: A Review.
- Article: Epigenetic editing of the Dlg4/PSD95 gene improves cognition in aged...
- Memory -- see more articles
- Memory disorders -- see more articles
Find an Expert
Children
- Memory Matters (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Seniors
- Eldercare at Home: Memory Problems (AGS Foundation for Health in Aging)
- Memory and Aging (American Psychological Association) - PDF
Patient Handouts
- Memory loss (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Mental status testing (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Remembering tips (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish