Boost Your Brain with Mind Lab Pro Types of Long-term MemoryLong-term Memory lossWays to Improve Long-term Memory
Your brain is incredibly complex. Mind Lab Pro has 11 different nootropics all working together to increase your cognition and brainpower to help you live a better life.
You are watching: Which type of memory has an essentially unlimited capacity
If you need to perform at your best, need to focus, problem-solve or maintain a calm and clear mindset, you will get a huge benefit from taking Mind Lab Pro.

The first factor that influences the duration of long-term memory is the way memory was encoded. Optimally encoded memories last much longer than shallow processed memories. Another factor is the retrieval of memory. The number of times a specific memory is accessed plays an important role in the strengthening of memory. This is probably the reason for better retrieval of information that is repeated and practiced again and again. Giving attention and focus to the information makes it stick to the brain for a relatively long time.
The capacity of long-term memory is thought to have no limits. According to some studies, the upper bound on the size of visual and acoustic long-term memory has not been reached. We may find it difficult to encode the details of many events but under certain conditions, a person succeeds when he focuses and tries to encode the information.
Changes in Long-term Memories
Long-term memories are not permanently stored in their original condition. Memories are susceptible to change, interference, and also misinformation. Memories are transformed every time they are pulled up. In the process of encoding, the neurons first encode memories in the hippocampus and brain cortices. Whenever a memory is retrieved, it is re-encoded by similar neurons, but not identical to previous ones.
Re-encoding of memories have a great impact on their storage. Details of the memory may change due to re-encoding. Certain aspects of long-term memory may strengthen or weakened depending upon the types of neurons activated. These memories are susceptible to inaccuracies because people sometimes miss details of events. The brain then fabricates the details to fill in the missing gaps. In some cases, old memories may affect the formation of new memories. This may lead to the change in memories or encoding of false memories.
Physiological Aspects of Long-term Memory
Previously, it was believed that only the cortex of the brain stores long-term information. Now we know that they are stored in different regions throughout the brain and other parts of the nervous system depending upon their type. Memories are not somewhat localized but stored through circuitry. Some types of memories may be stored throughout the body because receptors for chemicals in the brain are found everywhere.
When neurotransmitters are activated in the brain, a process called chemotaxis communicates the message to every part of the body. This communication is done basically through blood and cerebrospinal fluid. In this way, some memory may also get stored in muscles. People with organ transplants have reported the emotional reactions and feeling to certain events that they never had before.
Long-term Memory loss
Long-term memory loss refers to the difficulty in recalling the information. It can also be a sign of some serious problems such as dementia.
Sign and Symptoms
Here are some signs and symptoms of long-term memory loss.
Forgetting early life events Mixing up names of persons and places Excessive irritability and mood changes Forgetting common and easy words Getting lost in previously familiar places Trouble in recalling details of events Taking a longer time to do familiar tasks
Causes of Memory Loss
There are many causes of long-term memory loss. These causes can be classified into reversible and irreversible causes. Reversible causes can be treated. Examples of these causes include:
Depression and anxiety Vitamin B-12 deficiency Hydrocephalus Mental health problems
In some cases, loss of long-term memory may be a result of brain injury. the causes of brain damage are:
Alcohol Brain infections Brain tumors Stroke Oxygen deficiency Drug abuse
Irreversible causes of long-term memory include Alzheimer’s disease and dementias. Alzheimer’s disease causes memory loss, difficulty in comprehension, reasoning, and judgment. Dementia is also a big problem in developed countries. Its first symptom is short-term memory loss which is then followed by long-term memory loss.
Diagnosis
Taking the history of patients is the first step in diagnosing long-term memory loss. This history should cover medical history, family history, and history of medication.
The second step in diagnosing this condition is a physical exam. The physical exam may include checking for muscle weakness, brain damage, and vitamin deficiencies. Some times complex neuropsychological testing is done to diagnose this condition.
Treatment
There are various treatments for this condition depending upon the underlying cause. If the underlying cause can be removed easily, then it is removed. Otherwise in conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, Cholinesterase inhibitors, and partial N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists are prescribed by the physician. Regular exercise, adequate sleep, and a healthy diet may also help in some cases.
Ways to Improve Long-term Memory
Attention
Attentionis an important requirement to improve long-term memory. Actively attend the information being presented to make it a part of long-term memory. Students should stay away from distractions such as television, music, smartphones.
Good Night-Sleep
Quality sleep is known to optimize the neural processes of the brain. Slow-wave sleep has shown an important role in the consolidation of long-term memories. Sleep deprivation impairs the ability of the brain to encode new memories during the daytime. Optimal sleep of 7-8 hours a day is always recommended.
Exercise
Exercise is known to activate the muscles and keep the heart working properly, which has a positive impact on brainpower. Exercise enhances the chemical and neurotransmitters that empowers the brain to grasp concepts and make them part of long-term memory.
Retrieval
Retrieval is known to be one of the best strategies to convert short-term memories into long-term memories. Retrieving information taking tests is an amazing strategy for students to score more in the exam. Retrieving allows the information to be processed at a much deeper level than the processing of short-term memory. Memories that are not retrieved and recalled weaken and are sometimes replaced by other information.
See more: How To Speak From The Diaphragm Breath, How To Speak From The Diaphragm
Visualization
Imagination and visualization refer to an association of images with words to improve neuronal connection strength. Students benefit greatly from visualizing the concepts and information. This association leads to a great improvement in the storage and retrieval of long-term memories.
Role of Gene Transcription
Long-term memory formation requires the synthesis of new messenger RNA (Ribonucleic acid). There is an increased expression of some genes during and after the learning process. Transcription factors and signal transduction mechanisms that guide the process of formation of mRNA have been identified. Epigenetic modifications are critical for memory storage because they play a role in the regulation of transcription. Memory formation also requires molecular processes for the regulation of neuronal transcription.
Effects of Certain Drugs on Long-term Memory
Drugs of abuse like cocaine and marijuana damage neurons to a great extent. Sedative drugs and benzodiazepines which are mind relaxers and stimulants also exert bad effects on memory.
Some drugs are used as memory supplements. Phosphatidylserine is used for the treatment of neurological diseases, the diseases which cause brain damage, like Alzheimer’s disease. These drugs improve cognitive and storage abilities of an individual. These are used as powerful boosters to improve cognition.
Effects of Alcohol on Long-term Memory
Alcoholic consumptions are mainly associated with the destruction of the hippocampus and the nerve cells. The nerve cells responsible for memory encoding, storage, and retrieval are destroyed. An excessive amount of alcohol affects the stomach lining which causes ulcers and other gastrointestinal problems.
Alcohol also interferes in many ways with thiamine. Firstly, it impairs proper thiamine intake as alcoholics more often skip meals. Thiamine converts certain carbohydrates to glucose. Our brain only utilizes glucose for its energy requirements. Once thiamine gets deficient, there is an improper conversion of carbohydrates to glucose. This may lead to brain damage.
Summary
Long term memory is the information stored in the brain for a long time that can be recalled with ease.
Long term memories are divided into explicit and implicit ones.
Explicit or declarative memories are those that can be recalled consciously. These include memories related to some events called episodic memories, and memories about some facts called semantic memories.
Implicit memories are related to some skills that a person learns. They cannot be recalled consciously. These include skills like riding, writing, speaking, swimming, etc.
Long term memories last for much longer time as compared to short term memories and have unlimited storage capacity.
Long term memories are encoded in three ways.
Visual encoding involves the conversion of visual stimuli or information Acoustic encoding involves audio information Semantic encoding involves concepts and ideas
The capacity of long-term memory depends on the way it is encoded and the number of times it has been assessed or recalled.
Memories are not stored in their original form. They undergo certain changes during encoding and re-encoding of memories.
Long term memories are not stored in one specific region of the brain. Rather, they are stored in the form of circuits throughout the nervous system.
Long term memory loss can be seen in different memory disorders. The patient presents with a number of signs and symptoms. There might be a number of causes for memory loss.
See more: Real Gdp Is The Quizlet – Chap 11 Real Gross Domestic Product Flashcards
The capacity of long-term memory can be also be improved in several ways.
References
Image source
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory_consolidation https://sr.m.wikipedia.org/sr-el/%D0%94%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BA%D0%B0:Encoding_and_retrieval_image.png https://pixabay.com/illustrations/cloud-memory-storage-medium-3843352/