![]() ![]() (“Neuro” means brain while “transmit” means, well, transmitting.) Neurotransmitters are the brain’s own way of instant messaging, only faster. Our memory is facilitated by brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. They may not remember what they had for breakfast this morning, but they can tell you what they loved to eat as a child. Even people with impaired short-term memory often can access long-term memories quite well. These are the documents on your hard drive. Long-term memory, on the other hand, is the stuff of which personalities are made. When we talk about memory loss, most of the time we’re talking about this short-term memory. Short-term memory, also known as working memory, is what you use when you remember a phone number you just heard long enough to actually dial it, but you’ll probably forget it a minute later-you’re basically storing data on the mental equivalent of a clipboard in your word processing program rather than on a document in your hard drive. Sensory memory is built (no surprise here) on sensation: the feeling of a snowflake on your face or the warmth of snuggling under a down comforter by a fireplace. Memory actually comes in three flavors: Sensory, short-term, and long-term. So how exactly does this thing called “memory” work? And what can we do to protect it? ![]() Being unable to recall the characters and details of our own lives, being unable to access the memories that make us who we are feels, to many of us, like a fate considerably worse than death. You may even respond to these annoying episodes with a nervous laugh and a self-deprecating comment about your “senior moment,” but trust me, if they start happening enough you’ll soon begin to wonder about your memory.Īnd why wouldn’t you? After all, we’re all within six degrees of knowing someone whose life has been affected by dementia or Alzheimer’s. If you’re over 40 and it seems like you’re misplacing keys or forgetting names more frequently than you used to, you’re not alone. Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! ![]()
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