Neuropsicologia Latinoamericana
On-line version ISSN 2075-9479
Abstract
DIAS, Luciana Brooking Teresa and LANDEIRA-FERNANDEZ, J.. Neuropsychology of memory development: from preschool to school age. Neuropsicologia Latinoamericana [online]. 2011, vol.3, n.1, pp.19-26. ISSN 2075-9479.
Memory is a complex cognitive function made up of different components that interact. In light of the advances and the increasing demands in the areas of developmental and school neuropsychology, especially in Latin America, it is important to review theoretical and experimental studies, so that we can better understand how different memory systems develop during pre-school as well as in subsequent periods of development. From the time that information is stored, memory can be classified into sensory memory, short and long term. Working memory is a type of short-term memory, in constant relation with the long term, formed by the phonological loop, sketchpad visuospatial, the central executive and episodic buffer. The long-term memory has an explicit and implicit component. The memory develops over the life of the individual from the relations between social and biological aspects. Babies already have some kind of memory, though rudimentary, reproducing actions after time intervals, as if it were the beginning of explicit memory, recognize faces and family events, and show implicit memory, which does not undergo much change during development. In preschool, when the child begins to show maturation of the nervous system to verbalize and develop a more abstract thought, with the help of parents in stimulating their language, explicit memory and working memory are becoming more sophisticated, allowing information to be better organized. At school, the memory is already more developed, primarily in older children. This theoretical approach can contribute to the organization of important knowledge bases mnemonic that should be included for a better understanding of the difficulties that may occur in childhood, as well as strategies to promote stimulation of memory components in this phase.
Keywords : Memory; Cognition; Development; Ontogeny; Preschool; School.