How Attention and Memory Work (and What Changes With Age)

Attention and memory are different jobs

Attention is what lets you stay on one thing and filter out others. Memory is the process of storing information and then remembering it. [1] When people say "my memory is terrible," the problem may be attention, memory or both, and the right next step depends on which it is.

Other thinking skills sit alongside these. The brain also controls planning and organizing, making decisions and more, and these abilities affect how well we do everyday tasks and whether we can live independently. [2]

Types of memory

• Short-term memory stores information for a few seconds or minutes. Long-term memory stores it for longer. [1]
• Your brain cannot store everything, so it decides what is worth remembering. [1]
• A brain area called the hippocampus is responsible for laying down new memories, which is why trouble with new memories is often an early sign of Alzheimer's disease. [3]

How learning and recall work in daily life

Sleep matters for this. A good night's sleep can help you learn, create new memories, respond quickly, solve problems and pay attention. Adults, including older adults, need about seven to nine hours. [4] In a meta-analysis of 44 studies, even one night of restricted sleep increased sleepiness and impaired sustained attention, an ability needed for tasks such as driving. [5] Another meta-analysis found that short-term total sleep deprivation had a large effect on lapses in simple attention. [6]

Learning is also affected by how you study. In two experiments with students, repeated testing led to better retention after two days and a week than repeated re-reading, even though re-reading made students feel more confident. [7] See Focus habits.

What changes with age

Some changes in thinking are common as people get older. Older adults may be slower to find words and recall names, have problems with multitasking and have mild decreases in the ability to pay attention. [2] Certain brain regions shrink, communication between nerve cells may be less effective and blood flow may decrease. [2]

There are also positive changes. Many studies show older adults have larger vocabularies and greater knowledge of word meanings than younger adults. [2] Older adults can still learn new skills and form new memories, and when given enough time to learn a new task they usually perform just as well. Needing extra time is normal. [2]

These are typical patterns, not rules for any one person. Serious memory problems make it hard to do everyday things such as driving, using the phone and finding the way home. [8] See Forgetfulness and memory loss and healthy aging.

What else affects focus and memory

• Sleep (see Better Sleep).
• Stress, anxiety, depression and sleep problems, which can cause memory loss that is often treatable. [9] See Stress and relaxation.
• Hearing loss. Memory and concentration decline faster in older adults with hearing loss than in those with normal hearing. [10]
• Medicines and alcohol. See Medicines, sleep, mood and illness.
• Physical health. Changes in physical health may affect our brains; observational studies suggest high blood pressure in midlife and diabetes and smoking raise dementia risk, though such studies cannot prove cause and effect. [2]

When to get help

Mild slowing is usual. Change that is sudden, progressive or that interferes with daily life needs a check. See when to get help.