People have different types of memory and each one is responsible for the storage and processing of different types of memories. In this article, we will talk about episodic memory and how it can be strengthened and prevented from deteriorating. This memory is the one that is related to autobiographical events, that is, the memory of a specific moment, a place and the emotion associated with it… That is, it is the one that comes to mind first when talking about memory.
Keep reading Psychology-Online to discover What is episodic memory, examples and exercises to improve it.
The mind has two main types of memory: declarative or explicit memory and procedural or implicit memory.
- Declarative memory is the collection of memories related to past events.
- For its part, procedural memory is that which refers to memorizing the steps to perform a task, the different skills that we learn, among others.
Episodic memory would belong to declarative memory. Specific, Episodic memory is that which is responsible for the storage and retrieval of memories from our biography in an explicit way.. That is, they are the memories of “episodes” of our lives. It is part of episodic memory.
Surely, you remember some moments from your past: a birthday, a conversation with someone special, your wedding day…and you will also remember different painful moments such as a breakup or the day a loved one died. All of these are examples of episodic memory.
All these moments are “episodes” of your life, parts of your biography, and you can remember them thanks to the work done, through the medial temporal lobe and the , by episodic memory.
At the moment that important event was happening to you, your brain was working to save it so that days, months, and even years later, you can remember it.
For this and any of the , it is important to do different types of exercise to stimulate them and make them work to prevent dementia, such as . This will not mean that you will not have memory problems in the future, but if you end up developing dementia, it may make it progress more slowly or make its symptoms milder.
Questions exercise
In cognitive stimulation workshops, memory is often worked on through questions. These questions deal with memories that are not too distant in order to be more aware of the experiences and bring them to the present and thus force the memory and make it work. Some examples of questions to stimulate memory are:
- What did you eat last week?
- What was the weather like yesterday?
- How did you choose the clothes you would wear today?
- What do you usually carry in your pockets?
- What was the last thing you saw on television yesterday?
As we can see, it is a way of evoking memories of situations and moments that on many occasions can be difficult to remember, since they are not very striking events, so we will make an effort to remember and thus reinforce the memory.
Reading texts
At other times, it is quite common for the professional to read a short story to the patient and then ask questions about the story. For example:
Paco got up every morning at 5 and went to work by bicycle. However, the other day it was raining so he decided to take the car. Everyone must have thought the same thing so there was a big traffic jam, which is why Paco was late for work.
- How did Paco used to go to work?
- Why did you change your way of going?
- Why am I late?
Stories make us form an image in our mind, in the same way as when we remember our own experience, so it is also a way to work on episodic memory by making the person have to remember details to answer the questions.
memory albums
A very practical exercise available to everyone is to take an album of photographs and explain what happened in each one. You can talk about the following aspects of each photograph:
- Who were those in the photo?
- Who took the picture?
- What did you do after the photo? And before?
- Where was it?
- How did you decide to go there?
- Do you remember any conversations?
This exercise, however, is a little more complex although it is ideal for working on episodic memory at a deeper level. In this way, long-term memory would be reinforced, that is, episodic memory would be worked on more. Furthermore, it is a way of trying to preserve some memories that may have a certain sentimental value and an importance for the patient, while with the previous exercises the memories to be evoked do not have that value.
Memory and music
A very fun and enjoyable exercise consists of playing different songs and evoking memories from them. It can be done in two ways:
- On the one hand, the song may be for the special patient, it may be their wedding song, or one that reminds them of a trip… Then the advantage could be taken of music facilitates the evocation of memories so that the patient can relate them and, in this way, work on his episodic memory.
- The other way to work on them is through author identification. Facts from his biography can be narrated, such as where he was from, how he died, if he went to a musician’s concert, if he was married… Logically, this exercise would be convenient to do with a special artist for the patient and about whom he could know these sayings. data.