A new study finds that as people age, they remember fewer details from their past and have more difficulty switching between different types of memories.

As people grow older, the broad story of a past experience may remain even as the sights, sounds, and emotions tied to a particular moment become harder to retrieve. Research from the University of East Anglia suggests that aging changes not only how much people remember, but also the type of information their memories emphasize.

The study found that older adults recalled fewer details from their past and had more difficulty when they needed to switch between different kinds of memories. At the same time, their recollections contained more general knowledge and interpretation, suggesting that aging may gradually shift memory away from vivid, moment-specific experiences and toward a broader account of what happened.