A systematic review of the neuroanatomical literature was performed to determine
the neuropharmacological aspects most relevant to the study of memory processes.
Articles were retrieved using the search terms "biology of memory", "memory and
aging", "memory impairment", "elderly and memory," and their equivalents in
Portuguese. Of the studies surveyed, five studies dealt with epidemiological and
demographic issues, 12 were clinical trials i.e. were based on testing and
implementation of instruments in human subjects, 33 studies were basic research
involving studies of mice, rats and non-human primates, and biochemical and
in vitro trials and finally, 52 studies were literature
reviews or book chapters which in our view, fell into this category.ConclusionsThe work sought to highlight which neural networks are most involved in
processing information, as well as their location within brain regions and
the way in which neurotransmitters interact with each other for the
formation of these memories. Moreover, it was shown how memory changes
during the normal human aging process, both positively and negatively, by
analyzing the morphological alterations that occur in the brain of aging
individuals.