memory research - Wilson et al - CW

Question 1

Background

Answer 1

People with amnesic syndrome often experience varying degrees of memory loss includes forgetting age etc etc but when someone in unaware of time, date and surrounding = dementia .

However according to Kopelman its rare for someone to complete forget who they are in neuronal disease

Question 2

Two types of distorted memories

Answer 2

1) Faulty episodic memory, memories of past events that are incorrectly recalled. Might be recalled as being in a different time or place or may have remembered things that never actually happened

2) Faulty semantic memory, knowledge and understanding of things can be inaccurate

Question 3

Definition of delusions

Answer 3

False beliefs that the person who is experiencing them fully believes in, and will not listen to others who argue that it cannot be correct. Preoccupying and those who have damage to their memory = delusions part of faulty semantic memory.

Question 4

Define consciousness

Answer 4

Organism awareness of its own self and surroundings and its ability to respond to environmental factors

Question 5

Aim

Answer 5

report on case of CW who suffered from rare severe condition on anterograde and retrograde amnesia . Researchers had recorded neuropsychological assessments of his brain and psychological experiences.

Question 6

Sample

Answer 6

CW who was born in UK in 1938, outstanding musicians and musical scholar and leader of London sinfonietta.

Question 7

Method

Answer 7

Longitudinal single case study covering 21 years. The research gathered both qualitive and quantitative data.

Question 8

Materials

Answer 8

• neuropsychological tests such as IQ tests, tests of verbal fluency, and a digit span test to test long-term and short-term memory
• MRI scan to see amount and location of damage in his brain

Question 9

Outline of the study

Answer 9

March 1985, CW developed an influenza type illness, symptoms include: headache, fever. Several days later, he was diagnosed with HSVE and given medication which probably saved his life.
Virus already destroyed parts of his brain.

Question 10

Neuropsychological assessment

Answer 10

• CW was referred to Barbara Wilson in Oct 1985. He had already been assessed and the report found that he was experiencing ‘ extremely severe episodic memory deficits, some semantic memory impairments but his immediate memory span was normal. This means his memory for autobiographical events was very damaged . He was unable to recall many details about his life before the illness. Also unable to create new memories. His memory for facts and knowledge had some damage but his ability to remember a small amount of information over a short amount of time was normal.
• CW was assessed in Nov 1985. His verbal and performance IQ tests were found to be within the ‘ average ‘ range. However, CW was an extraordinary gifted mean before his illness so this score is likely to be poorer than he would have scored before his illness.

-His short term memory was found to be normal but his long term memory was severely impaired .
- He also still showed impaired semantic memory when asked ‘ what is a scarecrow ‘, he responded ‘a bird that flies and makes funny noises’

Question 11

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning

Answer 11

• in 1991, CW had his first MRI scan. The scans were rated by three independent experts who all agreed that there was significant abnormalities in hippocampal formations, amygdala, mammillary bodies