Is it possible to lose the long-term memory completely?
Long-term memory as such is not a separate part of the brain. Rather, one can imagine several connected chains of connections between different nerves. Accordingly, it is unlikely that an injury will damage the entire long-term memory with all its nerve connections. Rather, it is more likely that after a trauma, such as a car accident with a severe head injury, part of the long-term memory is lost. Often, however, many connections between nerve cells can be restored through practice and repetition.
Are there tests to test the performance of long-term memory?
There are several ways to check long-term memory. However, there is no generally accepted test for the performance of long-term memory. Various types of tests and questionnaires can be found on the Internet.
However, these should be tried out with reservation. A test that can be carried out within half an hour, for example, cannot adequately measure the performance of long-term memory, which can store information for years. Also, an IQ test is not an appropriate method to check the capacity of long-term memory.
In general, it is difficult to evaluate the performance of long-term memory with, for example, points. For short-term memory, however, there are various tests that can provide an overview of its performance. Therefore, it is more useful to test the performance of the long-term memory by a separate examination. For this purpose, it can be tried to recall different information learned in the past.
What is the difference to short-term memory?
In contrast to the long-term memory, the short-term memory is responsible for the short storage of information. Different types can be distinguished here. Every second, we perceive a great deal of information that enters the so-called ultra-short term memory.
Here the information remains only for a few seconds and is then sorted out again for the most part. The rest of the information gets into the actual short-term memory. This is responsible for storing information for a few minutes and, depending on the type of information, usually comprises about five to nine contents.
Accordingly, there is a relatively clear limit to the amount of information that can be stored in the short-term memory. Long-term memory, on the other hand, has no previously known limit on the amount of information that can be stored. Furthermore, long-term memory can store information for months to years, even a lifetime. The short-term memory, on the other hand, is responsible for storing information for a short period of time, often only a few minutes. The intermediate stage between short and long-term memory is the working memory, which can store information for minutes up to months.
