You were sure you wrote and sent this email, and yet you later realize we did nothing. Should you be concerned about these observations? Interviewed by NPR, neuroscientist Charan Ranganath seeks reassurance: Memory lapses affect everyone, even the President of the United States. According to Ranganath, the question is badly worded. It is not a question of asking yourself “Why am I confused?”, but “Why do I remember this or that thing?”
To find out whether you should be concerned about this or that type of surveillance, Ranganath spoke with NPR to share the results of his twenty-five years of research on the topic. According to neuroscientists, the human brain should be considered as a tool “Take what we need and be able to deploy it quickly when needed.”
Sometimes the brain is only partially able to retrieve information. Ranganath explains that this is because your memories compete with each other. In fact, if you know a few first names in your circle that start with the letter “C”, your brain is racing to figure out which “C…” should be memorized first. This logic of memory competition applies more generally when you have information on the tip of your tongue.
The weight of disturbances in the ability to remember
According to Ranganath, our modern life is unique in that we are constantly interrupted and distracted. For example, it could be an emergency like your baby crying. In this case, your brain instinctively decides that there is a task that must be tackled, and which will require all your attention. As a result, the brain risks letting go of what was on your mind before it was interrupted. Ranganath has also given an example of instructions on the phone. When he is at a conference and sees people in the audience looking at the notice that has just appeared, Ranganath is convinced: “When they leave, they won’t remember the instruction or the conference.”
Effects of stress on memory
In a stressful situation where you have to make immediate decisions, your brain is forced to review its priorities. In these situations, the prefrontal cortex, responsible for memory, takes a back seat.
Next, Ranganath addresses the issue of chronic stress. In this case, stress becomes more of a concern regarding your ability to use your memory, as it acts like a neurotoxicant on your prefrontal cortex as well as the hippocampus. These two areas of the brain are essential for memory. For this reason, people who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, and by extension those who experience chronic stress, are particularly vulnerable to memory problems.
Importance of good sleep
According to Ranganath, sleep should be seen as an investment. When you sleep, different areas of the brain are at work and interacting with each other. The brain then takes the opportunity to remove certain toxins such as amyloid, which is one of those suspected to be responsible for the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Ranganath adds that it seems “The specific processing of memories that occurs during sleep”, And “That the processing of memories sometimes leads to the strengthening of certain parts of the memory.”
