What type of memory briefly holds sensory information before it is lost?

Sensory memory is the type of memory that briefly holds sensory information prior to processing or loss. It serves as an initial stage of memory where sensory stimuli—such as sights, sounds, and smells—are retained for a very short duration, usually just a few milliseconds to a couple of seconds. This allows the brain to take in large amounts of information from the environment, although most of this information is quickly forgotten if it is not transferred to short-term memory.

The other types of memory do not fulfill this role. Short-term memory involves information that has been selected from sensory memory and can hold this information for a limited time before it is either forgotten or encoded into long-term memory. Long-term memory refers to the storage of information over extended periods, which can last from days to years. Echoic memory, while related to auditory stimuli as a type of sensory memory, is a specific form of sensory memory that deals with sound. Thus, sensory memory is the most accurate answer for the question regarding the brief holding of sensory information.