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Presque vu, or the tip of the tongue phenomenon, is when the brain can retrieve a memory but can’t. It increases with age but can be improved by keeping the brain healthy and engaged. Metacognition and mnemonic devices can also help. Priming techniques and a healthy lifestyle can maintain memory in later years.
Presque vu occurs when a person cannot remember something they want to remember, such as a name or place. The term is French for “almost seen” and accurately describes the feeling in which the brain can retrieve a memory but can’t. It is commonly referred to as the tip of the tongue phenomenon (TOT). Presque vu increases with age, but keeping your brain healthy and engaged will preserve your memory for quite a long time.
Adults most often experience presque vu and it can occur from young adulthood into old age. It also seems to be a universal experience, as many other languages have expressions that refer to this phenomenon. TOT can occur in people with epilepsy or other brain conditions that affect nerves in the left hemisphere, where the speech center is located. This does not mean, however, that a presque vu episode means such a disorder is present.
The brain stores information in both short-term and long-term memory by encoding. Short-term memory holds information for only a limited time, up to 30 seconds, until the brain pays further attention to it. Then it can be stored in long-term memory. Over time, if memories are not accessed, they can fade. Coding errors and interference can make it more difficult to form long-term memories, which then cause difficulty remembering information.
Two main theories and a number of sub-theories have been proposed to explain why TOT occurs: direct access and inferential theory. Both indicate a weakness or misdirection of memory around the target word or phrase. It is then recovered by removing an inhibition that blocks speech recall or by accessing cues that induce memory and break the presque vu state.
Metacognition is the conscious, sometimes controllable, awareness of knowledge and the ability to manipulate it to retrieve information and engage it. Metamemory, a subset of metacognition, has to do with monitoring one’s memory and using strategies to improve it. For example, mnemonic devices can help students remember certain concepts by inventing a reminder phrase. This can help them get around a presque vu event when it occurs while they’re testing, or if a particular term or phrase is hard for them to remember.
While presque vu increases with age, there’s a lot people can do to keep their brains in good shape as they get older. Learning new concepts strengthens associations within the neural network, making it easier to recall memories. Priming techniques, in which recall of target words is stimulated with similar concepts and words, is particularly useful for older brains. A good diet, managing health conditions, and plenty of socialization and physical activity are helpful in maintaining memory in later years.
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