By Steve Madigan

Memory loss or amnesia is an uncommon forgetfulness that can happen due to brain damage. Illness, injury or extreme mental distress can be the causes of this brain damage. Memory loss can be grouped using many criteria. Loss of memory can be classified into permanent and temporary memory loss on the basis of the time span of the memory loss. Memory loss is also sorted into short-term memory loss or long-term memory loss depending on the nature of the memory that gets affected. Memory loss can occur almost suddenly and can also take shape over a long period of time. What causes memory loss? All of them are caused due to specific reasons.

Long-term memory (LTM) is memory that is stored as meaning. It may remain for ages. It may also be very short lived, say, for only 30 seconds. Long-term memory (LTM) is functionally and structurally different from working memory or short-term memory. Working memory or short-term memory apparently retains information for only 30 seconds or so. Biologically, short-term memory is a short-lived potentiation of neural connections. By meaningfully correlating them and through rehearsals, short-term memory can become long-term memory. It is thought that by the long lasting enhancement of the neural connections short-term memories are stored as LTM. The structure of neurons undergoes a physical change due to this. But the time required at each step of this memory processing is still being studied.

Tarnow’s theory says that long-term memories are retained in dream format. This is similar to the discoveries of Penfield & Rasmussen which says that electrical excitations of cortex result in experiences resembling dreams.

It is important to find out what short-term memory is. Scientists are investigating the brain and its functioning. We are getting to know how the brain processes and stores memory. We are also learning about ways to enhance these processes.

So what is short-term memory?

The memory function in the brain which acutely stores and processes events, images, data is known as short-term memory. It is a kind of place for storage in our brain so that it can be decided whether these memories are to be used promptly and/or reserve them to long -term storage. Short-term memory functions as a filter as well as a workplace for the things we are processing. It is much easier to access and utilize information from short-term memory than long-term memory.

What causes short-term memory and long term memory loss?

— Ageing

— Alzheimer’s disease

— Neurodegenerative illness

— Head trauma or injury

— panic often along with by confusion

— Seizures

— common anesthetics like halothane, isoflurane, and fentanyl

— Alcoholism

— Stroke or momentary ischemic attack (TIA)

— transitory universal amnesia

— Drugs like barbiturates or benzodiazepines

— Electroconvulsive therapy (particularly on a long-term basis)

— sequential lobe brain surgery

— Brain masses (occurs due to lump or infectivity)

— Herpes encephalitis

— additional brain illness

— dejection

In these cases support from family members should be made available. The patient must be familiarized with reality by providing familiar music, objects, or photos. Some cases might need assistance for relearning.

Medication schedules should be written down so that there is no burden on memorizing.

Extensive amenities for care and treatment like nursing homes are a worthwhile consideration. They are more needed for patients whose basic needs cannot be dealt in any other way and whose safety and nutrition are at a risk.

What causes short-term memory loss after naps?

The rates of sensing of all the sensors are brought down while sleeping. The stimulation margins are increased at this time. This allows the process of transferring information to continue without any disturbance. Only if some danger occurs or a threat signal is received this process might be interrupted. Thus information from the sensors/surroundings is not received at this time. This allows the working memory to perform the transfer of data. It is similar to a sort of housekeeping. The working memory redeems information from the temporary memory. Then it compares this redeemed information with similar files stored earlier in the long-term memory. If any undesirable, duplicate or overlapping data is found it is deleted. The data that is considered to be relevant, new or updated is encoded and put into long-term memory. The temporary memory stays in a state of only retrieving information at this time. Hence any brain activities like dreams are not imprinted on to the temporary memory. The short-term/working memory store is the only memory store that can record brain activities consciously in this time period.

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