Older people struggle to remember important details because their brains cannot resist the irrelevant ‘stuff’ they soak up subconsciously, thereby making them less confident in their memories, a study says.

Using bio-sensors to look at brain activity, the researchers saw that older participants wandered into a brief ‘mental time travel’ when trying to recall details.

This journey into their subconscious veered them into a cluttered space that was filled with both relevant and irrelevant information.

This clutter led to less confidence, even when their recollections were correct, the study said.

She and the researchers noticed differences in brain activity between the young and old. Older adults’ brains spent more time and effort trying to reconstruct their memories.

“While trying to remember, their brains would spend more time going back in time in an attempt to piece together what was previously seen,” she said.

“But not just what they were focused on  some of what they were told to ignore got stuck in their minds.”