What is memory?
There are different types of memory:
- Explicit memory includes memory for personal experience (episodic) and Semantic memory which covers factual information, concepts, processes, and language.
- Implicit memory is our procedural knowledge of how to do things, such as motor skills.
A new memory requires new learning. Memories are created through several processes. In order to have a memory, a brain needs to learn or encode the information and store it away where it can be retained and found, then retrieved when it is required.
A memory deficit is caused by difficulties performing one or all of these processes. The process of storing and retrieving memory occurs in the hippocampus. While normal age related deterioration causes slower and less efficient memory functioning, in severe cases such difficulties can reflect underlying medical conditions that require appropriate medical assessment and intervention.
What problems arise?A person with a memory deficit may have difficulty learning or retaining new information such as instructions, messages, appointments and tasks. They may experience difficulties remembering information such as peoples’ names, and factual knowledge. In severe cases, they may have forgotten things from their past.