Pathological conditions linked to memory problems Flashcards
What are the 3 pathological conditions that are linked to memory problems?
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Anoxic-Hypoxic syndrome
- Werncike-Korsakoff syndrome
What is Traumatic brain injury?
a brain injury which results in physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioural disability
there are 2 types
What are the 2 types of TBI?
- penetrating TBI (also known as open TBI)
- Closed TBI
What is penetrating / open TBI?
occurs when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue
areas of lesion may then interfere with specific brain functions
e..g Phinneas Gage
What is closed TBI?
a non penetrating injury to the brain
no break in the skull has occurred
damage may be due to acceleration/deceleration of head or blunt trauma
affects both grey and white matter
What can closed TBI lead to shortly after injury?
loss of consciousness and post traumatic amnesia
What scale can be used to measure TBI?
Glasgow Coma Scale
What is the Glasgow Coma Scale?
a scale that measures patients level of consciousness and severity of brain Injury
scored from 3-15
lower score is worse / below 8 = severe TBI
What is Anoxic-Hypoxic Syndrome?
refers to either complete (anoxic) or partial (hypoxic) oxygen deprivation
brain can only cope for around 4 mins without oxygen
What can cause Anoxic-Hypoxic Syndrome?
- cardiac arrest
- stroke
- asphyxiation
- ingeting carbon monoxide
- blood loss
-drug overdose
What does deprivation of oxygen result in?
cell death, 2 stages:
- acute stage (release of excitatory neurotranmistters)
- secondary stage
How can Anoxic-hypoxic syndrome vary?
varies as a result of type of anoxic event and the metabolic demands of the area
(e.g more oxygen demanding area means more likely to be affected)
What is Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome?
caused by a severe and chronic vitamin B1 deficiency
A B1 shortage can impair the nervous system
What is another term for B1 Deficiency?
Thiamine
What are the risk factors for Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome?
restricted diet
alcoholism
kidney dialysis
What are some symptoms of Wernicke-korsakoff syndrome?
confusion
eye movement disorders
ataxia (problems with movement and balance)
What are the areas of damage in Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome?
corpus callosum
mammillary bodies
anterior nucleus of thalamus
What doe neuropsychological assessments report on?
- cognitive deficits
- preserved abilities
- behavioural patterns
What are the 2 main forms of neuropsychology assessments?
- psychometric assessment
- behavioural assessment
What is a psychometric assessment like?
quantitative, objective
in specific context
comparing ppts level of performance to normative standards
What is a behavioural assessment like?
focuses on daily activities of ppts in situations / environments of particular importance to them
multiple contexts
direct observation, interviews, diaries
What are 3 differences between psychometric and behavioural assessments?
P = specific context, B = multiple contexts
P environment is largely controlled, B may not be under assessor’s control
B has a direct relationship to rehabilitation treatment unlike P
What are 4 basic steps in memory assessment?
1- background info gained
2- stage of recovery identified
3- establish degree of competency
4- prepare order of tests
What is one example of a memory test?
Wechsler Memory Scale-IV
What are the 4 main types of memory rehabilitation?
- mnemonics
- use of spared memory abilities e.g implicit and procedural
- vanishing cues method
- use of external memory aids (technology based)
What are mnemonics?
a strategy to improve encoding and retrieval
used to remember items that are difficult to link
What is the vanishing cues method?
providing ppts with a cue to help them retrieve required information
progressively amount of cues is reduced until no cues are needed
What is errorless learning?
people are prevented from making mistakes whilst learning a new skill or acquiring new info
