Long-Term Memory "Loss"

[hbedz]

I noticed some discussion on the loss of short term memory but I'm interested in the long-term.

 

I've always had a poor memory when it comes to remembering events from my childhood to my teens. Big family vacations (Hawaii, Bermuda, Disney World) - I've forgotten most if not all of the events of these vacations. I can remember having gone there, but I can't remember anything about them. For instance, in Hawaii, I believe it was 6th grade, I know my sister and I jumped off the top of a waterfall because of a picture my parents took and because they've told me we've done it, but I can't do a "walk through" in my head of us doing it. I know we can't remember everything about our memories but I would think big events like jumping off a cliff would be hard to forget.

 

Recently it's been bothering me more - my lack of memory. The anniversary of my best friend's death is around this time of year but I can't remember the year it happened or what month it was. That's basically what triggered me thinking about my lack of long-term memory more in depth. I've always noticed it, but just shrugged it off. I know my father's side of the family runs the risk of Alzheimer's but I'm only 23 years old, so I may just be psyching myself out... But any insight to this would be appreciated, thanks~

 

(Sorry if this is long-winded/a repost!)

[iNow]

First, I think it helps to remember what memory is. In its most basic sense, memory is a series of connections between neurons and the activation patterns between them. The more connections there are, the stronger the memory, but those connections are always changing... some new ones grow with new experiences, and old ones are often trimmed/pruned when they are not used often.

 

Through time, if you do not use the connections, they tend to die off. Use it or lose it is the adage. Only by thinking about something and recalling those memories often will those neural connections be reinforced... and only then will they be more likely to avoid the normal pruning process which takes place everyday of our lives.

 

So, through time, many of those connections simply go away, which is why it's harder to remember. Some connections are stronger than others... and connections are often more solid when the experience was very emotional, but beyond that all memories tend to fade with time.

 

Now, as you mentioned, there are conditions (like alzheimers) which tend to increase the rate of decay, but I'm pretty sure that is not the case with you. Like you said, you're most likely just "psyching yourself out." If it really bothers you just do memory exercises (you can find many online) to train your mind like an athlete trains their body, and you could take some vitamins to maximize your neural health chances (B vitamins are good with memory).

[Genecks]

hbedz, you may be interested in researching "long-term potentiation."

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-term_potentiation

 

There are a lot of aspects of human memory and psychology.

 

However, for a lot of these aspects, neuroscience has taken over as a main way to explain various mechanisms of memory.

Furthermore, neuroscience and psychology relate when trying to describe aspects of memory that cannot be so easily discussed by physical means, such as how emotional stress can block memories.

 

Here is something else you may find of interest:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forgetting_curve

 

One of the best ways to keep a good memory is to write-up a vivid, detailed journal/diary. Such a documentation of historical events can allow the mind to rewind and review various things that occurred. Journals also have the power to bring back emotional states, too.

Edited November 7, 2009 by Genecks

[bascule]

Long-term memories are programmed into the connection structure of your cerebral cortex by a part of your brain known as the hippocampus. The long-term potentiation Genecks described occurs there. It's actually a pair of structures... hippocampi?

 

The hippocampus is effectively the "top" of your conscious experience. It absorbs all the patterns you encounter throughout your day which were not recognized by lower levels of your conscious experience (which takes place in the neocortex). Throughout the day it collects these unrecognized patterns, then at night while you sleep it programs them back into your neocortex.

 

If you have trouble forming long-term memories, it may be because your hippocampus is malfunctioning.

[CharonY]

Also memory is selective and plastic and if not reinforced (e.g. by recalling it every now and then or having a strong association with something) may also result in gradual loss.