Do Brain-Training Games Improve Memory?
Brain-training apps reliably make you better at the games themselves, but the evidence that this transfers to everyday memory or real-w
3 June 2026Read →
How memory works and changes with age, what Bacopa, Ginkgo and phosphatidylserine can and cannot do, and when forgetfulness needs a doctor.
Brain-training apps reliably make you better at the games themselves, but the evidence that this transfers to everyday memory or real-w
Working memory is the mental scratchpad that holds and manipulates information for seconds. It can be supported by habits, but claims t
Occasional lapses — misplaced keys, a name on the tip of your tongue — are normal. Getting lost in familiar places, worsening word-find
Regular aerobic exercise is the single best-evidenced intervention for protecting memory and thinking as you age — stronger than any su
During sleep, especially deep and REM stages, the brain replays and consolidates the day's experiences, moving them into durable long-t
Phosphatidylserine is a phospholipid that forms part of brain-cell membranes, with modest evidence for supporting memory and cognition
Bacopa monnieri is a herb with genuine, if modest, evidence for supporting memory — but only at about 300 mg a day of a standardised ex
Short-term (working) memory holds a handful of items for seconds; long-term memory stores information for days to a lifetime. They are
Some slowing of recall and processing speed is a normal part of ageing; it is gradual, stable and does not stop you living independentl
Memory is not one thing but three stages — encoding an experience, storing it, and later retrieving it — and forgetting can happen at a