The declarative memory, the repository of our brain

Have you ever wondered how you can remember concepts such as the capital of Spain or the name of your favorite artist? The answer is in our declarative memory and in this article we will see its operation, secrets and prominent characteristics.

Content

• What is the declarative memory
• What have we discovered from the declarative memory
• Some curious data related to declarative memory
  • Bibliography

What is the declarative memory

The declarative memory, also known as explicit memory, is a type of memory that It allows us to store and recover specific information, such as facts, events and concepts. This is the reason we can remember things like the date of our birthday, the name of our pet or the lyrics of that song that we love.

Declarative memory is part of long -term memory and can be divided into two subcategories, semantic memory and episodic memory. Semantic memory keeps general data, such as the meaning of words, concepts and facts, while, episodic memory keeps our personal experiences and events lived.

Semantic memory keeps general data, such as the meaning of words, concepts and facts while episodic memory stores our personal experiences and events lived.

The hippocampo and the prefrontal cortex are the two key areas of the brain that work together to store and recover this information. The hippocampus is something like a map that helps us remember where the treasure is, while the prefrontal cortex is the explorer who seeks and dismiss the treasure.

What have we discovered from the declarative memory

Endel Tulving, is the Estonian-Canadian psychologist, who is behind the discovery of declarative memory. In the 1970s, Tulving proposed the theory that memory can be divided into two main systems: The declarative memory that allows us to store concepts and non -declarative memory, which is that which cannot be verbalized, as a bicycle, for example. Since then, his theory has been widely accepted and has promoted many investigations in the field of memory.

Different research on memory have revealed some interesting data on this type of memory, for example, it has been possible to demonstrate that the practice of full attention or mindfulness, and meditation can improve our declarative memory and that adequate sleep hygiene It is crucial to consolidate information in our brain.

It was also discovered that some people with brain damage may experience a rare condition called hypermnesia, in which their declarative memory becomes extremely precise and detailed, so that these individuals can remember information and events with amazing clarity.

The investigation also showed that Memories stored in declarative memory can be modified or even erased by the reconsolidation process. This discovery has led to develop new therapies to treat disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSP), in which traumatic memories can be attenuated or replaced by less distressing memories.

A recent study found that learning a second language can strengthen our declarative memory, since researchers discovered that bilingual people had a better performance in declarative memory tests compared to monolingües people.

Some curious data related to declarative memory

London taxi drivers are famous for having an encyclopedic knowledge of the city streets, this is because to obtain their license, they must approve a test called "The Knowledge", which requires memorizing more than 25.000 streets and thousands of reference points which allow them to develop an extraordinary declarative memory. In addition, this causes the hippocampus area, which is the area of ​​the brain that is intimately related to declarative memory or explicit memory, has a size higher than average.

People with Savant syndrome can have extraordinary skills and abilities related to their declarative memory and are capable, for example, to remember endless lists of historical dates and events with surprising precision.

Amnesia is a disorder that affects declarative memory, people with amnesia can have difficulty remembering past facts and events, but nevertheless they are able to learn new motor skills and perform daily tasks.

Researchers from the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute showed that Events with positive emotional burden are better remembered that they do not have an emotional load associated. Thus, for example, we may not remember all the details of the path we take every day to go to work or school, but if during the tour there is any fact that impacts us emotionally, such as receiving good news or witnessing an accident, we will remember those Much more precision details. This discovery could be applied in patients with memory problems, to favor an improvement in long -term memory.

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Bibliography

• DECLARATIVE MEMORY - https: // pubmed.NCBI.NLM.NIH.GOV/25977084/
• The Role of Sleep in Declaration Memory Consolidation: Passive, Permissive, Active Or None? - https: // pubmed.NCBI.NLM.NIH.GOV/17085038/
• Tracking Explicit and Implicit Long -Lasting Traces of Fearful Memories in Humans - https: // pubmed.NCBI.NLM.NIH.GOV/25256154/