12/06/2025
What Is the Cause of Memory?
Memory comes from the way the brain takes in information, stores it, and brings it back later.
It works a lot like a path that gets deeper the more you walk on it.
Here are the basic parts:
1. Learning makes brain cells connect
When you learn something new, tiny changes happen between your brain cells.
The more you practice or repeat something, the stronger those connections become.
2. Attention and emotion matter
You remember things better when:
• you pay attention
• they mean something to you
• they have an emotional charge (fear, calm, joy, excitement)
This is why you may forget where you put your keys, but you remember your wedding day or where you were on 9/11.
3. Sleep helps memories “stick”
While you sleep, your brain replays and organizes what you experienced during the day so it can be stored long term.
What Does the Hippocampus Do?
The hippocampus is a small part of the brain—shaped like a seahorse—that acts like a memory center.
1. It helps you make new memories
Without the hippocampus, you could have a conversation right now but forget it a few minutes later.
It turns short-term experiences into long-lasting memories.
2. It helps you remember where things happened
The hippocampus helps you remember:
• where you put your keys
• what your house looks like
• what street you turned on
• the layout of a grocery store
It’s your brain’s built-in map and timeline.
3. It helps connect memory and emotion
The hippocampus works closely with the brain area that handles fear, excitement, and strong feelings.
This is why emotional events are easier to remember than ordinary days.
Putting It Simply
Memory forms when:
• brain cells connect
• you pay attention
• the event has meaning or emotion
• sleep helps “lock it in”
And the hippocampus is the part of the brain that:
• makes new memories
• organizes them
• remembers places and context
• links memories with emotions
If the hippocampus is damaged, people can remember old memories but cannot form new ones.
Short-term memories form in the hippocampus and consolidate in the cortex?
The hippocampus is the initial processing center for new memories, and the cerebral cortex becomes the long-term storage system.
Below is the simple breakdown:
1. Short-Term → Hippocampus
When you experience something, the information enters short-term memory through attention.
The hippocampus then:
• receives the new information
• organizes it (time, place, context)
• creates the first version of the memory
• links it with emotion (via the amygdala)
This early version is still fragile and easily disrupted.
2. Consolidation → Cortex
During sleep and quiet rest, the hippocampus “replays” the memory and sends it to the cerebral cortex (especially the temporal, parietal, and frontal association areas).
This process is called systems consolidation (Squire & Kandel, 2009; Diekelmann & Born, 2010).
The cortex then stores the memory long-term.
3. After Consolidation
Once the memory is fully established:
• you no longer need the hippocampus to recall older memories
• the memory becomes more stable and integrated
• details are distributed across multiple cortical areas (sensory, visual, auditory, conceptual)
This is why people with hippocampal damage (like in amnesia) cannot form new memories but can remember old ones.