Age-related Memory Loss Articles Our memory gives us the ability to retain and recall incidents and information. But more importantly, it allows us a sense of self, to feel comfortable with those we know and to use past experiences as a guide in new situations. However, our memory doesn't always work perfectly. It can be affected by brain injury, stress, diet, and lack of sleep, medications, lack of exercise, alcohol and drug abuse as well as natural aging. As people grow older, it may take longer to retrieve memories. Some adults joke about having a "senior moment." However, sometimes memory loss can be more serious or even life-threatening. Brain-Related Areas for Memory Memory is stored in several areas of the brain. However, we can see the primary structures and the memory types that relate to it from studying damaged brains in the past. The following is a short overview of structures in the brain and memory functions that relate to them. (Kolb et al, 2003) Cerebellum Hippocampus The Thalamus The Temporal Lobes The Frontal Lobes During periods of stress, our bodies secrete a stress hormone called cortisol which can interfere with the energy supply to certain brain cells involved in memory. Too much cortisol can prevent the brain from laying down a new memory or from accessing already existing memories. Here is one of our older patients talking about their experience with BrainAdvantage. Click on the picture to see the video.   Have you seen my keys? by Stephanie Reese, PhD, Andrew Reese and Martha M. Grout, MD   Human memory by Vadim S. Rotenberg and Igor Weinberg Affiliation of authors: Prof., V. S. Rotenberg, MD, Ph D.   Is your memory getting worse?   Recognition memory and the medial temporal lobe: a new perspective by Larry R. Squire, John T. Wixted¶ and Robert E. Clark   Maturation of White Matter is Associated with the Development of Cognitive Functions during Childhood by Zoltan Nagy, Helena Westerberg, and Torkel Klingberg   Injury-Induced Neurogenesis in the Adult Mammalian Brain by JACK M. PARENT.   Our aging bodies need good food and exercise to flourish by Ronald Kotulak