ICL 10.1: Memory and Consciousness & Amnestic/Dissociative Disorders Flashcards
what things can cause altered consciousness?
- dissociation –> amnesia, fugue, dissociative identity disorder
- depersonalization
- derealization
- drugs
- dementia
- sleep
- hypnosis
- meditation
what is short term memory?
aka working memory
holds small amount of information in conscious awareness (~ 10-12 seconds)
what is long term memory?
considered to have unlimited storage capacity and can hold information over lengthy periods of time
what is consolidation?
process where brain forms a permanent (more or less) representation of a memory, initially in hippocampus then cortex
what is retrieval?
process of accessing stored memories aka remembering
what is amnesia?
“failure of storage and retrieval”
inability to form or retrieve memories of events due to an injury or trauma (hippocampal damage)
what is retrograde amnesia?
inability to retrieve memories of events that occurred before an injury or trauma
almost always related to declarative memory
what is anterograde amnesia?
inability to form or retrieve memories of events that occur after an injury or trauma
almost always related to declarative memory
what is declarative memory?
part of long-term memory containing factual information of people, events; things one can verbalize
associated with temporal lobes
what are the subtypes of declarative memory?
- semantic memory
2. episodic memory
what is semantic memory?
part of declarative memory
records impersonal knowledge about the world
it’s a mental dictionary, encyclopedia: names of objects, days of week, math skills, seasons, words/language
what is episodic memory?
part of declarative memory
records personal experiences that are linked with specific times and places
“autobiographical” record of personal experiences – stores life events, first date, 21st birthday; allows one to re-experience past events
what is non-declarative memory?
aka procedural memory
how to do things that require motor or performance skills like riding a bike, swimming, playing the piano, suturing
associated with cerebellum, basal ganglia, supplementary motor area
what is Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome?
results from deficiency in thiamine (B1) almost always the result of chronic alcoholism
Wernicke = neurological disease (confusion, ataxia, eye abnormalities)
Korsakoff = form of dementia, memory loss
what is the clinical presentation of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome?
- pronounced anterograde amnesia (but retrograde amnesia can occur)
- impairment to declarative memory – procedural/non-declarative remains intact
- confabulation – patients are “masters” at creative remembering; fabricate stories and facts to make up for those missing from declarative memories
what is a dissociative experience?
when a person’s awareness, memory, and personal identity become separated or divided
in dissociative disorders dissociative experiences are extreme, frequent, and disruptive
ex. absorbed in book, movie, game that lose all track of time
ex. daydreaming class and snap out of it only after you are called on for third time
ex. preoccupied with thoughts while driving that when you get to destination you remember little to nothing about the trip (portions of the trip)
ex. you wake up in a strange room and are unable to remember where you are or how you got there (vacation)
what is dissociative amnesia?
dissociative amnesia is not the same as simple amnesia which involves a loss of information from memory, usually as the result of disease or injury to the brain
dissociative amnesia involves an inability to recall name, past and information related to personal identity and is typically NOT associated with brain injury/trauma, but with emotional trauma
what is a dissociative fugue?
sudden travel from home, plus, confusion about one’s identity
what is dissociative identity disorder?
aka multiple personality disorder
2 or more distinct personalities, shifts in consciousness
they are usually “alters” or different ways of coping with trauma
what is depersonalization disorder?
feeling as though the body or personal self is strange; they feel disconnected from self
“this isn’t me”; you’re not connected to yourself
what is derealization?
perception of objects in the external world are strange and unreal
disconnection from environment
you know who you are but you’re not connected to the world around you
She was found in a hotel bathroom unconscious, with no signs of structural or neurologic abnormalities or alcohol or chemical consumption.
The woman could not remember her name, address, family, or any facts about her home life.
The amnesia persisted for nearly 10 months, until the feeling of blood on the woman’s fingers triggered the recollection of events from the night of onset of dissociative amnesia - she remembered having witnessed a murder that night in China. She recalled being unable to help the victim out of fear for her own safety. She came to remember other aspects of her life; however, some memories remained elusive.
dissociative amnesia
she lost connection to her episode memory, autobiographical memory, etc.
there was a real disconnect
she was using the repression defense! memory of the event and of herself were repressed subconsciously without awareness
A 19-year-old college student suffered from sleep deprivation at the onset of depersonalization disorder. The young man experienced increased anxiety as he struggled to meet his responsibilities as a scholarship-dependent student athlete. Teammates expressed concern about his apparent distress to their coach, who arranged for the young man to speak with a therapist. The young man described feeling as though he were observing the interactions of others as if it were a film. The young man’s anxiety was determined to contribute to severe sleep deprivation, which triggered episodes of depersonalization.
depersonalization disorder
being disconnected from others, from my feelings and thoughts; you feel like someone else is talking and has taken over your body; you’re not connected to your words
derealization is about being disconnected from the environment; you know who you are and where you are but this bedroom may seem strange to you as you sit in it; all of the stuff seems unreal and strange
how do you treat dissociative disorders?
generally treated with long-term psychotherapy including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), insight-oriented therapies, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), hypnotherapy
unlike DID, the length of an event of dissociative amnesia may be a few minutes or several years. If an episode is associated with a traumatic event, the amnesia may clear up when the person is removed from the traumatic situation. Similarly, once dissociative fugue is discovered and treated, many people recover quickly
medications can be used for comorbid (co-occurring) disorders and/or targeted symptom relief – these medications (such as antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, or tranquilizers) can help control the mental health symptoms associated with the disorders; however, there are no medications that specifically treat dissociative disorders
