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How Memory is Gained

In this article we will take a look at how our brain actually acquires, then consolidates and finally retrieves the information that it has placed in our memory.

1.  Acquisition

Any new information that enters the brain will go along the pathways between the neurons and those areas where it needs to be stored. In order for our brains to encode this information, your memory needs to concentrate, and unless you can focus intently on the information that you are trying to memorize, you will find that as the old saying goes "it goes in one ear and out the other". This is why many teachers will often be found pushing their students to actually pay attention to what they are being taught during their lessons.

2.  Consolidation of Memories

Because you have concentrated on encoding the new information in your brain, the hippocampus will now send a signal to it to store this information as a long term memory. You will find that this happens more easily when the information you're retaining relates to something that you already know about, or if it happens to stimulate an emotional response in you.

3.  Retrieval

When it comes time for you to recall certain pieces of information, then the brain will activate the same pattern of cells which were used to store the information initially. If you need to recall a certain piece of information more frequently than other pieces, then it becomes much easier.

However, unfortunately, as we grow older, our memory begins to decline, and there are several reasons as to why the brain's ability to retain, as well as retrieve, memories changes.

First, as we grow older, the hippocampus is extremely vulnerable and will deteriorate as we grow older. Because of this, it affects our ability to retain information.

Secondly, as we grow older, we begin to lose neurons, and this in turn affects the activity of the neurotransmitters and their receptors to work correctly.

Third, as we grow older, then we will often experience a decrease in the amount of blood flowing to the brain, and this means less nutrients actually getting to it. Because we have less nutrients going to our brain, it will make our brain activity less efficient compared to that of the brain in a younger person.

But these changes are often seen as a slowing down in a person's ability to absorb, store and retrieve new information, and not actual memory loss. In fact, most of the factual information that a person has gathered over the years remains largely intact, as does our procedural memory (recall tasks and routines).

But there are some older people who may well develop more significant problems in relation to their memory as a result of either some disease such as Alzheimer's, or because they have had a stroke, they have been injured or their nutritional intake is poor. They may also have problems in relation to their memory because of either emotional or physiological issues in their lives.