What actually happens in the brain?
That’s a question Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Donna Webb, along with her team of biologists at Vanderbilt University, asked herself. To find out, they studied the connections the brain makes at the molecular and cellular level. (Read the full Science Daily report)
Every time you make a memory, somewhere in your brain a tiny filament reaches out from one neuron and forms an electrochemical connection to a neighboring neuron.
A single brain cell (neuron) produces two kinds of long fibres that weave through the brain: 
Dendrites and Axons.
Axons transmit electrochemical signals from the cell body of one neuron to the dendrites of another neuron Dendrites receive the incoming signals and carry them to the cell body. This is the way that neurons communicate with each other.
Connections like this form the basis for memory formation and storage.
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My way to help my brain: when I go for a walk I add up each car registration number and add to the total. If no cars will add up letterbox numbers. Not always of course because I want to enjoy the scenery!
Well done! Every activity like this keeps your brain active and alert and helps keep those dendrites growing!
This is uncharted waters for me or I could have joined the Memory Foundation earlier on. I will turn 70 years old towards the end of the month and I have noticed how at times I can’t even remember where I left my car keys, my mobile and my wallet. Yes simple things like that… I guess it’s frightening for me. Well I’m hoping to learn a lot more about why it happens.
You will find that the more you pay close attention to the things that matter, the stronger your memory traces will be. Here is a short article explaining how to make memory traces: https://www.brainfit.world/2016/01/29/memory-traces/ As we get a bit older, the mind loves to wander and we are more easily distracted. That’s why it is important to get into the habit of paying attention when putting down keys, mobiles or wallets! Keep trying!