MEMORY
When oversights become a source of questioning
You're searching for a word that's right on the tip of your tongue. You forget an appointment. You walk into a room without knowing why you went in. Your child learns their lesson but seems to have forgotten it the very next day. These situations are common and part of the normal functioning of memory.
But when they become more frequent, more bothersome or more worrying, it's natural to wonder if something isn't working as it should.
Memory is often perceived as a simple storage system. In reality, it constitutes a complex set of mechanisms that allow us to learn, retain, remember, and construct our experience of the world.
Memory: several systems that work together
We often talk about "memory" as if it were a single, unique ability.
Neuroscience, however, shows that there are several forms of memory, each with a specific role.
Some allow us to temporarily store information. Others allow us to permanently store our knowledge or personal memories.
Others allow us to learn gestures that become automatic with practice. These different systems work together constantly.
The main forms of memory
Working memory
Working memory allows information to be temporarily held active in order to be used.
For example :
- remember an instruction;
- perform a mental calculation;
- to follow several steps of a task;
- understanding a complex sentence.
It plays a central role in learning, attention, and executive functions.
Long-term memory
Long-term memory allows acquired information to be retained permanently.
It includes, in particular:
- general knowledge;
- school learning;
- personal memories.
Episodic memory
It concerns events in our personal history:
- a birthday;
- an important meeting;
- a journey;
- a defining moment in our lives.
Procedural memory
It allows the acquisition of automatic skills.
For example :
- riding a bike;
- to drive ;
- to play an instrument;
- type on the keyboard.
What neuroscience teaches us
Memory does not depend on a single center of the brain.
It relies on several brain networks that collaborate to record, organize, and retrieve information.
Contrary to some common misconceptions, forgetfulness is not necessarily a sign of a malfunction.
The brain continually selects which information it retains and which it allows to be erased.
Many factors influence memory:
- attention
- sleep;
- fatigue;
- stress;
- anxiety;
- certain neurological or neurodevelopmental conditions.
Very often, what appears to be a memory problem is actually a problem of attention at the time when the information should have been recorded.
If the information has not been correctly encoded, it cannot be retrieved later.
Memory and presence
Our memories are never built entirely in isolation. The events we remember best are often those experienced with other people or those that had strong emotional significance.
Parents participate in the construction of their children's memories when they talk to them about experiences they have lived together.
Teachers facilitate learning by directing attention to what is important. Human relationships thus influence not only what we perceive, but also what we retain.
The presence of others helps shape a part of our memory throughout our lives. This perspective aligns with the work developed within the Presence Brain project, which focuses on studying how social contexts influence brain function.
When to consult a doctor?
A consultation can be helpful when experiencing memory difficulties:
- disrupt learning;
- entraînent une fatigue cognitive importante ;
- affect studies or work;
- are accompanied by attentional difficulties;
- appear in an unusual or gradual way;
- cause significant concern for the person or those around them.
In children, memory difficulties are often linked to attention, learning, or executive functions.
In adults or the elderly, they may require further investigation to understand their origin.
How I work
Neuropsychological assessment allows us to explore the different memory systems and to better understand the difficulties encountered in daily life.
Depending on the situation, it can help to identify:
- working memory difficulties;
- encoding difficulties;
- the impact of attention on learning;
- certain executive difficulties;
- the influence of emotional or neurological factors.
The goal is not just to measure performance during a test.
The aim is to understand how memory works in everyday life and what strategies can be put in place to support it.