Human memory can be divided into different types. Short-term memory, which is of great importance to human beings, is one kind of it and is differentiated from long-term memory. Short-term memory plays an important role especially in human’s daily life.
What is short-term memory?
Short-term memory is located in parts of the frontal (red) and parietal (yellow) lobes of the human brain. Human memory is characterized by a multimemory model. There are three memories: ultra-short-term memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. The term short-term memory originates from psychology. Short-term memory is located in parts of the frontal and parietal lobes of the human brain. When information is received via sensory organs, it first enters the ultra short-term memory, also called sensory memory. Relevant information is passed on to the short-term memory, while irrelevant information is forgotten. In the short-term memory, also called working memory, information is stored for a short time and consciously processed. The contents are temporarily available and are forgotten after a short time. This distinguishes short-term memory from long-term memory, where content is permanently stored in memory. Short-term memory is the ability to store information in memory for a short period of time without taxing the actual memory.
Function and task
In short-term memory, things, information and facts remain in memory from a few seconds to a minute, respectively the first distraction. The information at hand can be cognitively processed, reflected and changed in working memory. This is necessary, for example, to understand the content of sentences. The information processing in short-term memory is about seven sensory / information units per minute. Thus, seven numbers in a row can be retained. With more than ten numbers in a row, only fragments are stored. Repetitions serve for the longer storage of information. Linguistic information is absorbed better and stored more easily than other types of information. The functions of short-term memory are used permanently. Without this type of memory, events and experiences that were made immediately cannot be stored. Distraction causes the information to be erased from memory again and replaced with new, more relevant information when the capacity of working memory is exceeded. The main function of short-term memory is the intermediate storage of information, things and content. It is now considered that short-term memory is a multimemory model in which different subsystems are responsible for different types of information. Short-term memory plays a central role in people’s everyday activities. It is permanently needed in school, work and private life. It also serves as a basis for other neuropsychological performances, concentration and attention. According to brain research, short-term memory serves as an indicator of human intelligence.
Diseases and ailments
Forgetting is an important performance of human memory. Irrelevant information is deleted and space is made for new information. Especially in old age, however, fluctuations in memory and memory loss can occur. These often affect short-term memory. In addition to mental losses, neuronal disorders and diseases can occur. Memory disorders are one of the most common consequences of damage to the brain. They are referred to as amnesias. In anterograde amnesia, short-term memory is impaired. New acquisition of knowledge is limited and information after the brain injury event cannot be adequately recalled. Amnesias often occur after traumatic brain injury. Amnesia can also result from migraine and meningitis, thus limiting short-term memory. Dementia represents another form of memory impairment. Dementia results from a circulatory disorder in the brain and is a progressive, usually irreversible, organically induced loss of previously acquired intellectual abilities with preserved consciousness. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease or Alzheimer’s dementia.This refers to a gradual decline in short-term memory, spatial-temporal orientation, and decreasing everyday competence. As the disease progresses, memory and the ability to perform everyday tasks become increasingly impaired, as do social withdrawal and speech disorders. The late stage of Alzheimer’s dementia is characterized by massive memory impairment. Thus, one’s own home and family members are no longer recognized. Combined, behavioral disorders and complete loss of everyday competence are found. Short-term memory can also be disturbed in other neurological diseases, such as epilepsy. Epilepsy is a chronic disease in which epileptic seizures occur. The seizures are usually accompanied by convulsions. Consequences are disturbances of consciousness and memory lapses. In epilepsy, unlike the incurable disease of Alzheimer’s dementia, medication helps to prevent seizures and memory impairment. Short-term memory disorders also occur as concomitants of strokes, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease or Parkinson’s disease. Furthermore, psychological disorders such as depression or anxiety disorders can affect short-term memory. Head injuries and brain tumors also affect working memory. In children, forgetfulness is often a sign of a severe attention deficit disorder (ADHD). According to studies, the function of intermediate storage in short-term memory can be improved. While brain training is hardly successful for some neurological diseases, short-term memory disorders caused by stress or other causes can be remedied and performance can be improved through training. There is a wide range of helpful exercises for memory training. With the training of the working memory also the learning and thinking ability, attention, concentration, reaction ability, cognitive flexibility, spatial imagination, as well as language and arithmetic ability are trained at the same time. Disorders of short-term memory are experienced by affected persons as stressful and traumatic, since everyday life and almost all relevant actions in a person’s life are impaired as a result.
