Short-term memory is defined as working memory. For example recalling the name of someone you just met or a phone number you just heard are short-term memory at work, according to the Natural Therapy Clinic. Long-term memory is the opposite,...
Dilantin (phenytoin) is an anticonvulsant drug used to treat seizures such as those that arise from epilepsy. Dilantin slows down the electrical impulses in the brain that cause seizures. That slowing of brain activity can also have the effect of...
Pot, also known as marijuana, weed or cannabis, is a green, leafy plant that is smoked recreationally to produce feelings of euphoria. Pot is also used medicinally by many chronic pain patients as well as individuals living through wasting...
Brain trauma, which involves damage to the brain tissue, affects about 1.7 million people each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Damage to the brain can occur even if the injury does not fracture the skull....
Children and adolescents are instructed to learn a massive amount of information in order to prepare them for life after school. While this may be standard and simple for some children, many others experience learning disabilities due to memory...
Parkinson's disease is a neurological condition caused by a deficit of dopamine, a neurotransmitter. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) state that cells that produce dopamine are destroyed, preventing information from being sent; this results...
Alcohol definitely affects the brain, report researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Side effects can be apparent after only a few drinks. Immediate side effects of drinking alcohol can include blurred...
Viral meningitis or aseptic meningitis, is relatively mild and patients recover in a few days. Meningitis is an infection of the membranes surrounding the central nervous system and the fluid circulating the spinal cord. Long-term effects can...
The Arizona Center for Advanced Medicine says that the average teenage male drinks over 800 cans of soda pop each year, and that Americans now drink twice as much as they did 25 years ago. Some people choose diet soda to cut back calorie intake....
According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities, individuals with visual and perceptual processing disorders often struggle with long-term and short-term memory problems. These memory disorders can cause difficulties with spelling,...
Dementia is a disorder that is rare for people under the age of 60; the risk of dementia increases with age. The causes of dementia can be degenerative disease, like Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia, which cannot be treated. However,...
A condition caused by destruction of the myelin sheath, which is the protective covering of neurons, multiple sclerosis affects the brain. The Mayo Clinic's website notes that multiple sclerosis starts between ages 20 and 40, with women diagnosed...
Approximately 180,000 people are diagnosed with a brain tumor each year, according to the American Brain Tumor Association. A brain tumor is simply a mass of abnormal cells that grows in the brain. The temporal lobe processes sounds and spoken...
Contrary to popular opinion, severe memory loss is not a normal part of the aging process. In fact, occasional forgetfulness affects people of all ages, and is often a result of information overload, medication, unhealthy lifestyle choices or...
Memory is a type of ability that allows you to store information you have encountered in the form of memories. Memories are the result of a complex process involving the brain. The cerebral cortex and the hippocampus in the brain help process...
Thiamine, also known as vitamin B1, is an essential nutrient that your body, and especially your brain, needs for proper functioning. Your body cannot produce thiamine, so you must supply it in your diet. The daily recommended amount is 1 mg/day,...
Short term memory is the first stage of information retention in your brain. According to helpguide.org, short term memory holds a maximum of seven items for a few minutes; to be permanent memories, they have to be consolidated into long term...
Xanax is the trademarked name of alprazolam, which belongs to a class of drugs known as benzodiazepines that are commonly prescribed to treat panic attacks. While Xanax use is sometimes associated with several immediate side effects, long-term use...
Although traumatic brain injuries can cause acute symptoms such as swelling, seizures and infections, only a few studies delve into the long-term effects that childhood brain injuries can cause. However, the UCL Institute of Child Health reports...
In 2007, an average of 10 people a day drowned accidentally in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC says nonfatal drownings are also a serious problem, potentially leading to brain damage...
Antioxidants help stop cellular damage from free radicals, unstable molecules in the body that may increase your risk of cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. Though you can take in antioxidants such as vitamin A, vitamin C and...
Carrying too many or too few pounds for a period of time can harm your health and increase your risk for disease. Extreme diets, which may succeed briefly but cause a weight rebound later, are not the answer. To correct dietary imbalances and...
Alcoholism is a mental health disorder that generally develops over time as a person's desire to drink and need to drink in larger quantities to induce pleasurable effects increases. Some alcoholics continue for many years to function adequately...
The perception of what constitutes a healthy diet has changed over the years. According to "The Drinking Man's Diet," a book originally released in 1965, then re-released in 2004, in the 1950s and 1960s, nutrition professionals considered all...
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are caused by an external force that causes damage to the brain. According to the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, approximately 1.4 million people in the United States experience a TBI each year,...
Adults may find discussing alcoholism with children to be awkward, or it might seem unnecessary with young kids. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, one in five adults grew up with an alcoholic in their home, and...
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) defines long-term memory loss as difficulty remembering events that occurred further in the past. Long-term memories are formed when short-term memories, or non-permanent memories, are consolidated in the...
A person who abuses a drug will use the drug despite the known risks to health and well-being. She will continue abusing the drug even though this results in broken relationships, financial difficulties, legal problems and failures to follow...
Alcohol is processed by the liver. When consumed in moderation, alcohol does not cause any long-term damage to the liver, but when consumed in high quantities it can be dangerous. Even just one "binge drinking" episode can cause a type of liver...
