Editing Iconic memory (section)

== Development ==
The development of  iconic memory begins at birth and continues as development of the primary and secondary [[visual system]] occurs. By 6 months of age, infants' iconic memory capacity approaches adults'.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Blaser|first=Erik|author2=Zsuzsa Kaldy|year=2010|title=Infants Get Five Stars on Iconic Memory Tests: A Partial Report Test of 6-month-old Infants' Iconic Memory Capacity|journal=Psychological Science|volume=21|issue=11|pages=1643–1645|doi=10.1177/0956797610385358|pmc=4578158|pmid=20923928}}<!--| access-date = 2012-01-04 --></ref> By 5 years of age, children have developed the same unlimited capacity of iconic memory that adults possess.{{Citation needed|date=January 2012}} The duration of informational persistence however increases from approximately 200 ms at age 5, to an asymptotic level of 1000 ms as an adult (>11 years). A small decrease in visual persistence occurs with age. A decrease of approximately 20 ms has been observed when comparing individuals in their early 20s to those in their late 60s.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Walsh|first=David|author2=Larry Thompson|year=1978|title=Age Differences in Visual Sensory Memory|journal=Journal of Gerontology|volume=33|issue=3|pages=383–387|doi=10.1093/geronj/33.3.383|pmid=748430}}<!--| access-date = 2011-03-19 --></ref> Throughout one's lifetime, [[mild cognitive impairment]]s (MCIs) may develop such as errors in [[episodic memory]] (autobiographical memory about people, places, and their contex), and [[working memory]] (the active processing component of STM) due to damage in hippocampal and association cortical areas.  Episodic memories are [[autobiographical]] events that a person can discuss.   Individuals with MCIs have been found to show decreased iconic memory capacity and duration.  Iconic memory impairment in those with MCIs may be used as a predictor for the development of more severe deficits such as [[Alzheimer's disease]] and [[dementia]] later in life. Previous studies have shown that [[Glucocorticoid|glucocorticoids]] have been closely linked to impact higher cognitive functioning. Glucocorticoid exposure causes severe memory retrieval impairment, explicitly advancing iconic memory decay. It reduces the active maintenance and storage of sensory information by altering transient neural responses during the initial stimulus processing stages. <ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Miller |first1=Robert |last2=Weckesser |first2=Lisa J. |last3=Smolka |first3=Michael N. |last4=Kirschbaum |first4=Clemens |last5=Plessow |first5=Franziska |date=March 2015 |title=Hydrocortisone accelerates the decay of iconic memory traces: On the modulation of executive and stimulus-driven constituents of sensory information maintenance |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.12.016 |journal=Psychoneuroendocrinology |volume=53 |pages=148–158 |doi=10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.12.016 |pmid=25618593 |s2cid=15392879 |issn=0306-4530|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Elevated [[cortisol]] levels have also been associated with faster iconic memory decay and top-down processing impairment, putting individuals at a higher risk of developing Dementia and AD. <ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ouanes |first1=Sami |last2=Popp |first2=Julius |date=2019-03-01 |title=High Cortisol and the Risk of Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease: A Review of the Literature |journal=Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience |volume=11 |page=43 |doi=10.3389/fnagi.2019.00043 |pmid=30881301 |pmc=6405479 |issn=1663-4365 |doi-access=free }}</ref> 

Iconic memory formation has been previously described as attention-free and fleeting, however newer studies have shown that in fact it does require attention. IM is shown to decay at a faster rate if attention focus is not appropriately met to the attention load. This allows for the information that is being transported into working memory to be retained more precisely. <ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mack |first1=Arien |last2=Erol |first2=Muge |last3=Clarke |first3=Jason |last4=Bert |first4=John |date=February 2016 |title=No iconic memory without attention |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2015.12.006 |journal=Consciousness and Cognition |volume=40 |pages=1–8 |doi=10.1016/j.concog.2015.12.006 |pmid=26716733 |s2cid=22724560 |issn=1053-8100|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Iconic memory decay has been found to occur at a rapid speed after the visual stimulus is no longer present. Without active retrieval, iconic memory averages to disappear within half a second. The theory of gradual decay in visual working memory claims that the accuracy at which the stimulus is remembered in iconic memory deteriorates over time. However, information stored in sensory memory is considered to facilitate exponential decay. <ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mack |first1=Arien |last2=Erol |first2=Muge |last3=Clarke |first3=Jason |date=May 2015 |title=Iconic memory is not a case of attention-free awareness |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2014.12.016 |journal=Consciousness and Cognition |volume=33 |pages=291–299 |doi=10.1016/j.concog.2014.12.016 |pmid=25681698 |s2cid=24332997 |issn=1053-8100|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |date=2018-08-24 |title=Corrigendum: Iconic Memories Die a Sudden Death |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0956797618796808 |journal=Psychological Science |volume=29 |issue=10 |pages=1725 |doi=10.1177/0956797618796808 |pmid=30141736 |pmc=7309157 |issn=0956-7976}}</ref>