4 minutes
Thanks to procedural memory we can perform daily actions automatically without stopping to think about them. Let’s see what it consists of.
Walking, cycling, driving, tying your shoes, brushing your teeth … there are many actions we do every day unconsciously and whose record is very well stored in our procedural memory.
In fact, it allows us to carry out an endless number of daily habits without stopping to think about them, which greatly facilitates their execution. Hence its importance. It is even the first memory to appear in infants and the last to disappear in the elderly. What does it consist of? How is it formed? We will detail it below.
What is procedural memory?
Also known as «instrumental memory», it is one that stores all information related to procedures or strategies That allow us interact with the environment. That is, it keeps the memory of how things are done and how objects are used.
It is also a type of long-term implicit memory, which is formed unconsciously and can be retrieved without effort. For example, when we brush our teeth or walk, we don’t stop to think about the skills or steps involved.
People with well-developed and preserved procedural memory often adapt to new activities without problems. However, the loss of it makes it difficult to carry out daily activities such as dressing or washing.
How is procedural memory formed?
Procedural memory begins to form from the time we are born, as we learn to walk, speak, or eat. In this case, the skills are constantly repeated until they are performed automatically.
At the brain level, procedural memories are formed when connections are made between synapses, spaces at the end of a neuron that allow signals to pass. The more frequently an action is performed, the more often signals are sent across those same synapses.
Over time, these synaptic pathways become stronger and the actions themselves become unconscious and automatic. For this reason, it is difficult for us to point out when we learned to do them.
In this way, when behavior changes thanks to training, we can affirm that we have acquired procedural knowledge. Although it is pertinent to bear in mind that practicing by itself does not guarantee the acquisition of the skill.
Brain structures involved
There are structures in our brain that control the initial learning of procedural memories, their late learning and their automation.
In this case, the group of subcortical structures, called the basal ganglia (which includes components such as the striatum), is involved in procedural learning. But nevertheless, Other areas are also involved, such as the cerebral cortex and cerebellum.
For example, changes in the motor cortex have been observed when new motor skills are learned. In this sense, experts suggest that the specific brain system involved in procedural memory depends on the specific type of procedural learning.
Procedural memory examples
People usually use procedural memory in the following actions:
- Play a musical instrument.
- Drive a car.
- Swim.
- Walk.
- Write with the keyboard.
- Play some sport.
- Riding a bicycle.
- Up and down stairs.
How to improve procedural memory?
To facilitate the consolidation of procedural memories we not only require constant training, but also it is essential to practice healthy habits, like eating a balanced diet and getting a good night’s rest.
Regarding this, research suggest that sleep helps consolidate the learning of motor skills. In this case, the NREM sleep helps the new memories, of a fragile condition, go to a more robust and stable state.
For its part, performing specific exercises can improve procedural memory. In this case, we should ideally focus on procedural evocation, such as:
- Remember a recipe and perform the actions in sequence.
- Evoke a song and play it with a musical instrument.
- Remember a game and go through all the actions that help its correct execution.
These exercises are quite beneficial in people who have been affected by neurological disorders or diseases that prevent having a consolidated procedural memory. For example, people with Alzheimer’s or who have suffered from perinatal asphyxia.
Procedural memory vs declarative memory
To conclude, we make the distinction between procedural memory and its opposite, declarative. In this case, declarative memories are those that we remember intentionally and that require a conscious effort to bring them to memory. Some examples include remembering information for a test or our home address.
Instead, procedural memories are those that are effortlessly retrieved. We can even acquire them unconsciously, like when we learn the lyrics of a song from listening to it so much.
In sum, we can affirm that declarative memory implies knowing the “what”, while procedural memory refers to the “how”.
It might interest you …