Memories...

This memory thing

I've been thinking about a lot about the ability of the human mind to retain information. It's always been an intriguing thing and I decided to write about it.

Let's get into it…

For context,

Growing up, I always remembered events as they happened. Something would happen at home or school and if I was present… I would be called to give an account of it. Genuinely I thought everyone's memory worked the same way. But then as I grew older… I realized that a lot of people didn't remember stuff like that.

It extended beyond just being able to remember events as they happened. I didn't forget what I read. If I read something… It stuck. Now there are two sides to this… There were somethings I knew without necessarily understanding, if you asked me to explain it… I'd struggle… But the thing is that I remembered seeing it and I'd be able to give it back to you as it is.

The same with conversations with people and faces of people. I remembered the first time I met people and the first conversation we had.

Once I've seen someone… If I saw you somewhere else… I'd be able to tell I've seen you before. I may not instantly recall the place I saw you. But in a few minutes it would click.

So these “weird memory patterns” made me curious as to how the mind actually worked.

As nice as this may sound. It can be really burdensome. My mind does this thing where it brings up a random conversation I had with someone days prior and begins to analyze it and nitpick. Sometimes I wish to be forgetful. Because why should I be remembering extremely random conversations with a ridiculous amount of accuracy??

Anywho… Let's get into the science of the mind.

So I'd be doing a little analysis on Neurology… No fear… I'd break it down.

Memory is fundamentally the product of neuronal activity and synaptic connections. When information is learned or recalled, neurons communicate through electrical signals (action potentials) and chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) across synapses.

Bunch of gibberish above… Let's make it simpler. Basically your memory is a mat weaved by actions of the neurons ( think of them as pipes in your house that carry water from the tank to the tap where it flows out) and synaptic connections (the links in that pipeline that joins two pipes together). The electrical signals and neurotransmitters (Well… The water that's been transported)

Now that we've defined what the memory is… Let's look at two important concepts:

1. Synaptic Plasticity

2. Neurotransmitter systems

Stay with me…

1. Synaptic Plasticity

   Look past the terminology. It's just talking about how elastic our synapses are. Basically how much can you stretch those synapses.

   There are two things under here:

Long-Term Potentiation (LTP)

LTP is a strengthening of synaptic connections after frequent activation. It's believed to be the neural basis of learning and memory formation.

When neurons repeatedly fire together, the connection between them becomes stronger ("neurons that fire together, wire together").

Individuals with excellent memory often demonstrate more robust LTP in key memory regions such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.

I'd explain the “hippocampus” and the “prefrontal cortex” in a bit.

Long-Term Depression

LTD weakens synaptic connections due to infrequent activation or other cellular conditions, aiding in removing outdated or unnecessary memories (a process essential for efficient memory function).

Those who forget often or struggle with memory may show abnormal LTD, excessively weakening important connections.

2. Neurotransmitter Systems

   Think of these as messengers sent on specific assignments.

Glutamate: Primary excitatory neurotransmitter vital for LTP and memory consolidation. Efficient glutamate signaling typically correlates with improved memory capacity.

Acetylcholine: Critical for attention, encoding new information, and working memory. Reduced levels are associated with memory impairments such as those seen in Alzheimer's disease.

GABA: The major inhibitory neurotransmitter that regulates neuronal excitability. Balanced GABA activity ensures clear, focused memories, while excessive inhibition can impair memory formation.

Fairs… I might have over shot here with the terms... Stay with me still.

While synapses and transmitters contribute to memory… There are still structural differences of the brain that affect a person's memory. In fact the smart minds of the 20th century particularly showed some differences in brain structure. There are three parts of the brain directly associated with memory function:

Hippocampus: Central hub for forming new memories. Larger hippocampal volume correlates positively with memory performance. Neurogenesis (growth of new neurons) in the hippocampus aids memory formation; better neurogenesis is associated with stronger memory capabilities.

Prefrontal Cortex (PFC): Controls executive functions such as attention, focus, working memory, and retrieval strategies. Greater connectivity between the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex enhances memory performance and retention.

Amygdala: Emotions strongly modulate memory encoding. Enhanced emotional significance can boost memory retention, while emotional dysregulation can impair memory recall.

There are a lot more that affect the memory… But I'm willing to stop here for now. Maybe in a later post.

I'm in the middle of SAED looking left and right for oncoming soldiers. This NYSC P mehnn. Oh well. Let me know your thoughts, takes and opinions in the comments. Likeee and subscribeeee.