Short-term Memory

Short-term memory is involved in hanging onto information for short periods of time. For example, 30 seconds during which you can jot down or punch in a phone number, or remembering the three items you need purchase at the grocery story, or where you parked your car, especially if you stopped long enough to tie the location of your car to a visual landmark. Some large stores such as Walmart have placed numbers at the end of each parking row to help shoppers avoid “losing” their cars.” Short-term memory is believed to involve primarily in the frontal lobe of the cerebral cortex. Short-term memory loss may be observed when a brain cannot recall what happened 15 minutes ago. Insufficient supplies of oxygen to the brain can negatively impact short-term memory along with alcohol and drug abuse, concussions, traumatic brain injuries, and other medical conditions such as seizures, epilepsy, and depression.