Short-term memory describes the brain's ability to remember things for a short period of time. From an anatomical point of view, the anterior portion of the frontal lobe the so-called prefrontal cortex, which is located behind the forehead.
Read more about the here Structure of the brain.
What is to be remembered can be divided into two groups, the explicit memory contents, like facts and events, and the implicit memory contentse.g. Actions and emotional content. In more recent definitions, the short-term memory is only related to the explicit memory contents. Strictly speaking, behavior and emotional memories then belong to long-term memory, because they are also relevant in the longer term. The processing of explicit memory content is also called Working memory denotes what is equivalent to a modern description of short-term memory.
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Depending on the type of memory content, there are connections to other parts of the brain that help to process what has been noted. However, this is already part of the so-called. Memory consolidation, a transfer of information from short-term to long-term memory.
Short-term memory only stores information roughly a few seconds to a maximum of minutes long. Since the storage capacity is not unlimited, information must then either be used for memory consolidation in long-term memory transfer or with new information overwritten if the information is not relevant.
The short-term memory or working memory does not only play a role in short-term memorization or, for example, when transcribing a telephone number, but also in virtually every everyday process. If you read a term, it is parked in short-term memory until other parts of the brain have linked the letters read with a meaning and the meaning of the word read forms in the mind. At the Mental arithmetic for example, the short-term memory is also strongly challenged.
This information can then be deleted again as it is of no great importance. The short-term memory is more likely to help Processing of more complex tasks and is more in the second place the gateway to long-term memory in the sense of a learning process.
The efficiency of the short term memory can to some extent with intelligence be equated. Nevertheless, you can train your short-term memory and thus yours too Comprehension and Ability to concentrate. This is also known colloquially as Brain jogging designated.
There are now countless exercises from different sources, but they often cover the same categories: Exercises for Handling numbers or mental arithmetic, too language and Words, concentration, logical understanding and Retention.
Simple training methods are for example Sudoku or short Mental arithmetic tasks under time pressure. Both promote the use of numbers and make the brain faster with regular practice. Crossword puzzle are also a popular form of brain jogging in the language category. The brain thus learns to find verbal answers faster via short-term memory. Examples of exercises for logical understanding are Tasks of a classic IQ test, in which a symbol has to be found logically matching a number of other symbols or number sequences have to be added sensibly. Concentration is trained in many tasks. The short-term memory, which stands for short-term memory, can best be achieved with games like Memory or the like.
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All of these methods are ultimately playful exercises that can also be easily integrated into everyday life. Meanwhile in many Daily newspapers Puzzles and Sudokus are printed, which can be solved, for example, over coffee in the morning. There are also plenty for those who are very busy Smartphone appsthat offer short brain teasers, e.g. can be completed during a train journey.
However, it is precisely our modern technology, with which information can now be accessed anywhere and anytime, that the general memory performance in the population decreases. To counteract the forgetfulness that comes with age, brain jogging is the best way. You can't go wrong with this, every exercise helps the brain to stay fit.
The more often and more regularly you train, the more likely it is that your memory will improve. This is enough about 10-15 minutes a day from, the more exercise categories you cover, the better. Should a noticeable deterioration set in despite regular demands on the mental performance, one should consult a neurologist in order to be able to rule out a physical cause.
Please also read our pages Prevent dementia and Signs of dementia.
If you really suspect that something is wrong with your short-term memory or your mental performance, you can test this medically. One of the most common tests for the presence of one dementia is the so-called Mini Mental Status Test. The patient is asked various questions and tasks, for example to place and time or simple arithmetic problems, the Memorize three terms and repeat them later or Draw figures according to specifications.
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One point is awarded for each correct result, a maximum of 30 points can be achieved. This procedure provides one rough overview about the mental state of a person, especially with regard to memory and other essential mental abilities, and is also suitable for controlling the Course of dementia. However, it should be noted that care should be taken to ensure that the environment is free from disruptive factors in order to be able to interpret the test as objectively as possible.
Long-term memory is more complex than short-term memory and also not easy to assign anatomically. It is assumed that long-term memory is a function of the entire cerebral cortex (cortex) is. Above all, however, the implicit memory contents are stored via connections with various parts of the brain. Sports skills or courses of action are closely linked to the cerebellum, while emotional memories run through the so-called amygdala.
Depending on the type of memory, almost every part of the brain can be included, even the olfactory brain is relevant, as some memories are linked to a certain smell and can be evoked again with this.
When consolidating memory (i.e. transfer from short-term to long-term memory) information is sent through a specific loop in the brain called the Papez neuron circle. This is primarily about explicit memory content. The repeated passage through this neuron loop ensures the consolidation of the memory in the brain and contains the hippocampus and the thalamus as main switching points in addition to other structures.
If the connections in this loop are destroyed, for example by a stroke, operation or tumor in this area, memory is permanently impaired. Memories prior to this damage persist, the short-term memory as such also functions, only information can no longer be transferred to the long-term memory.
Read more on the subject here: Long-term memory
