The Concept of Human Memory - Essay Example

HUMAN MEMORY Introduction: “Memory is the knowledge of an event or fact with the additional consciousness that it has been thought of or experienced before” (James, 2001: 58). Referring back consciously, even in the absence of objective evidence, the certainty that one feels about matters of the past is based on past experience being relived as part of present experience, states Smith (2004). This paper proposes to answer the following questions about the concept of human memory. Discussion: 1. What is memory? According to Cardoso (1997), the underlying reason why one does not forget how to drive a car, the details of a story that had occurred a long time ago, the flow of complicated phrases of long songs, and many other such features, is because of memory. This occurs as a process of information retention in which one’s experiences are archived, and these can be recovered when recalled. Memory and learning are mutually and closely interrelated. Learning is the acquisition of new knowledge and skills, and memory is the retention of this knowledge. Ability to consider the past, think in the present, and predict the future, as well as the use of language are all based on learning and human memory. Memory is also understood as a comprehensive term ranging from memories of childhood and autobiographical memory, to the stream of facts recalled as a result of a trigger. It includes the memory for faces, both familiar and those that require concentration to recognise. “The memories for taste and smell, sounds and shapes as well as the feel of things are directly related to the senses”, and can trigger off a flood of nostalgia (Samuel, 1999: 49). 2. How memory works: Storing and recalling memory works in three parts: 1) Information flows through the brain: Sensory iinformation is stored in the sensory store in the cortex. Then some of the information is quickly transferred before it is lost, into the short-term store, and then the rehearsal buffer, and finally into long-term memory storage in the sensory cortex, state Loftus and Loftus (1976). The Papez circuit travels from the hippocampus, around the limbic system and cortex, back to the hippocampus. The strengthened memory paths become a part of long-term memory (Squire, 1991). 2) How neuron networks store and retrieve memories: Neuron networks such as the Papez circuit entrenches temporary connections between visual, hearing and limbic neurons to form a new lasting memory. A network in the cortex that contains a particular sensation forms a path defined by its synapses. This is the firing path for nerve impulses that stores and invokes the particular sensation to evoke a related memory (Gazzaniga, 1988). 3) How synapse molecules change to define a network path towards a pattern and a memory: The brain stores information chemically to establish new patterns of neural networks and thereby a memory. The brain retrieves a memory by firing those networks across different areas of the brain, to get the information. Pattern completion reflects cellular processes accompanying memory retrieval in which activation is completed by very limited input (Holladay, 2007). 3. What affects memory and how? Important factors that can affect memory are aging with drop in hormone levels; health condition such as thyroid problems, depression, poorly controlled high blood pressure, diabetes, and hormonal fluctuations following childbirth or menopause. Other factors are substance abuse, too little sleep or exercise, and lack of intellectual challenge (Nelson & Gilbert, 2005). Wright and Lemond (2004) state that both children and adults can experience serious memory deficits in inputs, encoding and subsequent retrieval of information. Children’s memory can be impacted by neurological disorders such as epilepsy, hypoxic-ischaemic injury, traumatic brain injury, and prematurity. Aging affects the brain, and subsequently memory: by making intercellular communication less efficient, states AARP (2007). There is cell loss in areas that produce important neurotransmitters or chemicals that carry information between neurons. Decrease in the numbers of these cells and their ability to make the right kinds of enzymes upsets the delicate balance of these chemical messengers. Other changes occur in the brain’s white matter, which contains nerve cell fibers, through which communication with other cells takes place. Also, deterioration of the hippocampus and decreased blood flow to the brain result in less efficient brain activity (Helpguide, 2007). 4. Why it is important to learn about memory: Memories that are important or emotionally powerful are stored in the brain for a life time. This ingrained information becomes a part of the individual: “images, experiences and knowledge become intrinsic aspects of one’s psychological and social identity” (Nelson & Gilbert, 2005: 1). Memory includes facts such as names and images such as the faces of friends and loved ones. Also, included are procedures and skills such as driving a vehicle or playing a game, and specialized knowledge that is used for work. A complex interplay of brain functions is used for learning new information, storing, and retrieving it. An understanding of why some memories endure, whereas other memories fade away can be obtained by knowledge of how memory works. Remembering something for a short term or a long term is determined by different parts of the brain. According to SEP (2004), “an understanding of memory is important in making sense of the continuity of the self, of the relation between mind and body, and of our experience of time”. Many investigations and debates about memory have a philosophical basis and implications. Contemporary discussion of memory is related to development of theories in the natural, cognitive and social sciences. 5. How memory can be improved through games and educational web sites: The functioning of memory can be enhanced by memory games and educational web sites based on reasoning, remembering and memorising (Cohen et al, 1997). The cognitive functioning of the brain is considerably improved by several factors, such as: aerobic exercises to improve the flow of oxygen to the brain, a healthful diet, sufficient sleep and other wholesome habits. Moreover, exercising the brain by remembering details of a long-past event, or memory games such as recalling the names of famous personalities, capital cities of the world, etc help to enhance memory. Similarly, educational web sites with useful information for memorising and tests of reasoning skills help in using various parts of the cerebral cortex to optimise functioning. Cohen et al (1997: 604) conducted research using functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine brain activation in human subjects during performance of a working memory task. They used the “temporal resolution of this technique to examine the dynamics of regional activation, and to show that prefrontal cortex along with parietal cortex appears to play a role in active maintenance of memory function”. The researchers found that working memory is responsible for the short-term storage and online manipulation of information necessary for higher cognitive functions, such as language, planning and problem-solving. Figure1. shows the regions in the cerebral cortex and their task-related activity. (Cohen et al, 1997: 605) Conclusion This paper has highlighted the significance of human memory, how memory functions, the various factors that affect memory and how they impact its working, the reasons for which learning about memory is important, and how memory can be improved through games and educational web sites. It is only through the power of memory can individuals live normal lives, since memory operates at all levels and in all the tasks that are undertaken daily. Hence it is imperative that memory and cognition should be optimised with the help of exercises and mental training, for maintaining best outcomes at all times. References AARP (2007). How aging affects memory. Aging and the Brain. Retrieved on 24th September, 2007 from http://www.aarp.org/health/brain/aging/how_aging_affects_memory.html Cardoso, S.H. (1997). Human memory: what it is and how to improve it. Center for Biomedical Informatics, State University of Campinas, Brazil. Retrieved on 23rd September, 2007 from http://www.cerebromente.org.br/n01/memo/memory.htm Cohen, J.D., Perlstein, W.M., Braver, T.S., Nystrom, L.E., Noll, D.C., Jonides, J., Smith, E.E. (1997). Temporal dynamics of brain activation during a working memory task. Nature, 386: 604-608. James, W. (2001). Talks to teachers on psychology and to students on some of life’s ideals. New York: Dover Publications. Gazzaniga, M.S. (1988). Perspectives in Memory Research. The United States of America: Massachussetts Institute of Technology. Helpguide (2007). Does memory naturally decline with age? If so, why? Retrieved on 24th September, 2007 from http://www.helpguide.org/life/improving_memory.htm Holladay, A.(2007). How does human memory work? Wonder Quest, USA Today. Retrieved on 23rd September, 2007 from http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/aprilholladay/2007-03-12-memory-first_N.htm Loftus, G.R. & Loftus, E.F. (1976). Human memory: the processing of information. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Nelson, A.P. & Gilbert, S. (2005). The Harvard Medical School guide to achieving optimal memory. The United States of America: McGraw-Hill Professional Publishers. Samuel, D. (1999). Memory: how we use it, lose it, and can improve it. New York: New York University Press. SEP (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy), (2004). Memory. Retrieved on 24th September, 2007 from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/memory/ Smith, B. (2004). Memory. London: Routledge. Squire, L.R. (1991). Memory and the hippocampus: a synthesis from findings with rats, monkeys, and humans. Psychological Review, 99(2): 195-231. Wright, I. & Limond, J. (2004). A developmental framework for memory rehabilitation in children. Pediatric Rehabilitation, 7(2): 85-96. Read More