As you age, you absorb fewer details when acquiring information because you have somewhat more trouble concentrating and processing information rapidly. And as you grow older, your memories grow older as well. And old memories are especially prone to misattribution. Suggestibility is the vulnerability of your memory to the power of suggestion — information that you learn about an occurrence after the fact becomes incorporated into your memory of the incident, even though you did not experience these details.
Although little is known about exactly how suggestibility works in the brain, the suggestion fools your mind into thinking it's a real memory. Even the sharpest memory isn't a flawless snapshot of reality. In your memory, your perceptions are filtered by your personal biases — experiences, beliefs, prior knowledge, and even your mood at the moment. Your biases affect your perceptions and experiences when they're being encoded in your brain.
And when you retrieve a memory, your mood and other biases at that moment can influence what information you actually recall. Although everyone's attitudes and preconceived notions bias their memories, there's been virtually no research on the brain mechanisms behind memory bias or whether it becomes more common with age. Most people worry about forgetting things.
But in some cases people are tormented by memories they wish they could forget, but can't. The persistence of memories of traumatic events, negative feelings, and ongoing fears is another form of memory problem. Some of these memories accurately reflect horrifying events, while others may be negative distortions of reality. People suffering from depression are particularly prone to having persistent, disturbing memories. So are people with post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD.
PTSD can result from many different forms of traumatic exposure — for example, sexual abuse or wartime experiences. Flashbacks, which are persistent, intrusive memories of the traumatic event, are a core feature of PTSD. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
Thanks for visiting. Don't miss your FREE gift. Should I lie to him? Can people with dementia have what they call "show-timer's? Is anyone else dealing with this?
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When does it become too dangerous? Ask a Question. Post Question. Assisted Living Memory Care. Independent Living Home Care. Once in a while, we all forget what day of the week it is, but we usually remember or figure it out quickly. Additionally, unable to remember appointments or even missing them despite putting it on the calendar or having received numerous reminders by family.
These may be signs of dementia, according to Johns Hopkins experts. We all have to search for the right word from time to time.
Having more and more trouble following, joining or continuing a conversation you may stop talking mid-thought and not know what you were going to say next or even following plot on TV may also be a red flag for dementia risk. If you or a loved one are having issues managing medication correctly, it's time to reach out to your doctor. We provide high quality, individualized care for patients of all ages where you feel most comfortable — your home or community.
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