Final answer:
Researchers study patients with traumatic brain injuries and Alzheimer's disease to understand memory formation processes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Researchers have been working with patients with traumatic brain injuries to determine what happens with information encoded during and just before a memory is formed.
Trauma to the brain, such as a blow to the head, can cause anterograde amnesia, where individuals are unable to remember new information but can recall events prior to the injury. Alzheimer's disease, on the other hand, affects memory formation due to the presence of abnormal clumps and tangled brain fibers.
Learn more about Memory formation and brain injuries