Overview of the forms and functions of<unk> .<unk>  is the faculty of the brain by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembered, it would be impossible for language, relationships, or personal identity to develop.<unk>  loss is usually described as forgetfulness or amnesia.<unk>  is often understood as an informational processing system with explicit and implicit functioning that is made up of a sensory processor, short-term (or working)<unk> , and long-term<unk> . This can be related to the neuron. The sensory processor allows information from the outside world to be sensed in the form of chemical and physical stimuli and attended to various levels of focus and intent. Working<unk>  serves as an encoding and retrieval processor. Information in the form of stimuli is encoded in accordance with explicit or implicit functions by the working<unk>  processor. The working<unk>  also retrieves information from previously stored material. Finally, the function of long-term<unk>  is to store data through various categorical models or systems. Declarative, or explicit,<unk>  is the conscious storage and recollection of data. Under declarative<unk>  resides semantic and episodic<unk> . Semantic<unk>  refers to<unk>  that is encoded with specific meaning, while episodic<unk>  refers to information that is encoded along a spatial and temporal plane. Declarative<unk>  is usually the primary process thought of when referencing<unk> . Non-declarative, or implicit,<unk>  is the unconscious storage and recollection of information. An example of a non-declarative process would be the unconscious learning or retrieval of information by way of procedural<unk> , or a priming phenomenon. Priming is the process of subliminally arousing specific responses from<unk>  and shows that not all<unk>  is consciously activated, whereas procedural<unk>  is the slow and gradual learning of skills that often occurs without conscious attention to learning.<unk>  is not a perfect processor, and is affected by many factors. The ways by which information is encoded, stored, and retrieved can all be corrupted. Pain, for example, has been identified as a physical condition that impairs<unk> , and has been noted in animal models as well as chronic pain patients. The amount of attention given new stimuli can diminish the amount of information that becomes encoded for storage. Also, the storage process can become corrupted by physical damage to areas of the brain that are associated with<unk>  storage, such as the hippocampus. Finally, the retrieval of information from long-term<unk>  can be disrupted because of decay within long-term<unk> . Normal functioning, decay over time, and brain damage all affect the accuracy and capacity of the<unk> .
Memory
Working memory
Episodic memory
Gross processing
Associative memory 
Motor planning
Serial memory processing
Visuospatial function