National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Memory is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Memory
Your mind works a lot like a computer. Your brain puts information it judges to be important into "files." When you remember something, you pull up a file. Memory doesn't always work perfectly. As people grow older, it may take longer to retrieve those files. Some adults joke about having a "senior moment."
It's normal to forget things once in awhile. We've all forgotten a name, where we put our keys, or if we locked the front door. Seniors who forget things more often than others their age may have mild cognitive impairment. Forgetting how to use the telephone or find your way home may be signs of a more serious problem. These include Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia, stroke, depression, head injuries, thyroid problems, or reactions to certain medicines. If you're worried about your forgetfulness, see your doctor.
NIH: National Institute on Aging
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Start Here
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Forgetfulness: Knowing When to Ask for Help(National Institute on Aging)
- Also available in Spanish
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Understanding Memory Loss
(National Institute on Aging)
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Forgetfulness: Knowing When to Ask for Help
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
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Learn More
, and
Multimedia & Cool Tools
.
For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
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Reference Shelf
, and
For You
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For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
- Coping with Memory Loss(Food and Drug Administration)
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Things Forgotten: Simple Lapse or Serious Problem?(National Institutes of Health)
- Types of Memory(InteliHealth, Harvard Medical School)
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Latest News
- Secondhand Smoke Linked to Memory Problems(09/14/2012, HealthDay)
- Frequent MRI Scanner Exposure Might Affect Memory(08/30/2012, HealthDay)
- Sleep Boosts Memory for Parkinson's Patients, Study Suggests(08/24/2012, HealthDay)
- More News on Memory
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Diagnosis/Symptoms
- Memory Loss: When to Seek Help(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Treatment
- Improving Memory and Treating Memory Loss(InteliHealth, Harvard Medical School)
- Return to top
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Prevention/Screening
- Memory Loss: 7 Tips to Improve Your Memory(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Alternative Therapy
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Gingko(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
- Return to top
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Gingko
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Specific Conditions
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Agnosia(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Short Summary
- Amnesia(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Brain Fog(Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation) - PDF
- Dissociative Disorders(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Forget What You Heard about Amnesia(InteliHealth)
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Prosopagnosia(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Short Summary
- Reversible Causes of Memory Change(InteliHealth, Harvard Medical School)
- Right Hemisphere Brain Damage(American Speech-Language-Hearing Association)
- Also available in Spanish
- Transient Global Amnesia(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Agnosia
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Related Issues
- Chemo Brain(American Cancer Society)
- Questions and Answers about Memories of Childhood Abuse(American Psychological Association)
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Videos
- If I Had - A Memory Problem(Insidermedicine)
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Making a Memory Book
(National Institute on Aging)
- Sleep, Learning, and Memory(Harvard Medical School)
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Anatomy/Physiology
- How Memory Works(InteliHealth, Harvard Medical School)
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Amnesia(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Memory(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Memory Disorders(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Memory(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Amnesia
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Research
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How Does Memory Work? The Plot Thickens(National Institute of Mental Health)
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New Research Illuminates Memory Loss and Early Dementia(National Institute on Aging)
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How Does Memory Work? The Plot Thickens
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Organizations
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National Institute of Mental Health
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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Also available in Spanish
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National Institute on Aging
- Also available in Spanish
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National Institute of Mental Health
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Children
- Memory Matters(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
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Seniors
- Eldercare at Home: Memory Problems(AGS Foundation for Health in Aging)
- Memory and Aging(American Psychological Association) - PDF
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Patient Handouts
- Memory loss
- Also available in Spanish
- Neurocognitive testing
- Also available in Spanish
- Remembering tips
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
