Memory Impairments
Amnesia
• Loss of memory ability - usually due to
lesion (damage) or surgical removal of
various parts of the brain.
Amnesia
• Loss of memory ability - usually due to
lesion or surgical removal of various
parts of the brain
• Two broad categories:
– Retrograde: loss of memories for events
prior to damage
Amnesia
• Loss of memory ability - usually due to
lesion or surgical removal of various
parts of the brain
• Two broad categories:
– Retrograde: loss of memories for events
prior to damage
– Anterograde: loss of ability to store new
memories of events after damage
Amnesia
Retrograde
Amnesia
Anterograde
Amnesia
Amnesia
• Typically impacts LTM, not short-term or
sensory memory!
Causes of Amnesia
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Concussion
Migraines
Hypoglycemia
Epilepsy
Electroconvulsive shock therapy
Specific brain lesions (i.e. surgical removal)
Ischemic events
Drugs (esp. anesthetics)
Infection
Psychological
Nutritional deficiency
Sleep/Circadian effects
Aging
Causes of Amnesia
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Concussion
Migraines
Hypoglycemia
Epilepsy
Electroconvulsive shock therapy
Specific brain lesions (i.e. surgical removal)
Ischemic events
Drugs (esp. anesthetics)
Infection
Psychological
Nutritional deficiency
Sleep/Circadian effects
Aging
Causes of Amnesia
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Concussion
Migraines
But not HM!
Hypoglycemia
Epilepsy
Electroconvulsive shock therapy
Specific brain lesions (i.e. surgical removal)
Ischemic events
Drugs (esp. anesthetics)
Infection
Psychological
Nutritional deficiency
Sleep/Circadian effects
Aging
Causes of Amnesia
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Concussion
Migraines
Hypoglycemia
Epilepsy
Electroconvulsive shock therapy
Specific brain lesions (i.e. surgical removal)
Ischemic events
Drugs (esp. anesthetics)
Infection
Psychological
Nutritional deficiency
Sleep/Circadian effects
Aging
Nutritional Deficiency
• Anorexia
– Cognitive impairments
– Mood disorder
– Abnormal cort response
s (and standard
patients with
sa (N = 18) and
ls (N = 18) on
sts. Where
an one level of
particular task,
across all levels
orted (*)
< 0.05 (see text
Patient
Vigilance
Errors of commission a
Errors of ommission a
Latency
Control
6.944 (7.485)
2.222 (3.716)
456.2 (78.9)
1.764 (2.153)
0.0556 (0.886)
467.8 (91.0)
Auditory Verbal Learning Test
Immediate (trial 1)
Learning (trial 5)
AVLT Total (trials 1–5)
Interference list (list B)
Trial 6
Delayed recall (trial 7)b
7.667 (2.00)
13.611 (2.062)
58.50 (9.54)
7.167 (2.662)
12.278 (2.824)
11.50 (3.634)
8.222 (1.957)
14.611 (0.979)
62.61 (6.77)
8.44 (1.917)
13.889 (1.367)
13.883 (1.618)
Spatial Working Memory
Between search errors*
Within search errors*
Strategy
7.02 (4.92)
0.685 (1.00)
32.65 (4.66)
5.444 (4.129)
0.4072 (0.3355)
32.71 (4.15)
Tower of London
Number of excess moves*
Portion perfect solutions*
Motor initiation (ms)*
Motor execution (ms)*
Paired Associates Learning
Trials to criterion*
Errors
Pattern/Spatial Recognition
Pattern
Errors
Latency
Spatial
Errors
0.885 (0.514)
67.59 (15.63)
4150 (1697)
1472 (1871)
0.6944 (0.3725)
74.54 (12.93)
5274 (2354)
475.3 (404.7)
4.019 (2.230)
10.15 (9.28)
2.889 (1.279)
5.093 (3.768)
1.611 (1.195)
1879.8 (367.0)
1.444 (1.294)
2012 (913)
3.444 (2.121)
2.611 (1.577)
Korsakoff’s Syndrome
• Lesions to Medial Thalamus
– Results from chronic alcoholism and
consequent thiamine deficiency
Korsakoff’s Syndrome
The Lost Mariner
What happened to Jimmie?
What was his life like?
Korsakoff’s Syndrome (The
Lost Mariner)
• Lesions to Medial Thalamus
– Results from chronic alcoholism and
consequent thiamine deficiency
– Severe anterograde amnesia
Korsakoff’s Syndrome (The
Lost Mariner)
• Lesions to Medial Thalamus
– Results from chronic alcoholism and
consequent thiamine deficiency
– Severe anterograde amnesia
– Severe retrograde amnesia extending
years before damage
Korsakoff’s Syndrome (The
Lost Mariner)
• Lesions to Medial Thalamus
– Results from chronic alcoholism and
consequent thiamine deficiency
– Severe anterograde amnesia
– Severe retrograde amnesia extending
years before damage
– Confabulation - make up stories to explain
absence of memory
Korsakoff’s Syndrome (The
Lost Mariner)
• Lesions to Medial Thalamus
– Results from chronic alcoholism and
consequent thiamine deficiency
– Severe anterograde amnesia
– Severe retrograde amnesia extending
years before damage
– Confabulation - make up stories to explain
absence of memory
– Often unaware of their deficit
Korsakoff’s Summary
• Chronic alcohol consumption can
damage memory. In what regard?
– Graded retrograde amnesia
– Profound anterograde amnesia
Brain Damage
• Patient R.B.
Ischemic damage
– Specific memory
impairments (e.g.,
Rey-Osterrieth figure
drawing task
Brain Damage
• Patient R.B. Ischemic damage.
Brain Damage
• Patient N.A. Mechanical injury
– Profound impairments on verbal memory
tests
• Word list recall
Brain Damage Summary
• Impairments can be limited to specific
memory.
• Take care of your cardiovascular
system.
• Don’t get stabbed in the brain.
Cognitive Aging
Everyone experiences memory loss with aging
Problematic Cognitive Aging
• Mild Cognitive Impairment
• Dementia
– Alzheimer’s Disease
Mild Cognitive Impairment
• There are different subtypes
– Single Cognitive domain
– Multiple cognitive domains
– Amnestic
– Nonamnestic
Prospective Memory
– Prospective memory effects
• Remembering that you have to do something
– Cued
– Time
– Retrospective memory effects
• I knew I supposed to do something…
Dementia
• Functional changes
• Most common: AD
Alzheimer’s Disease
• Cognitive traits
– Language impairments
– Visuospatial disturbance
– Memory loss ****
Don’t despair, you can protect
your memory/brain!
– Minimize stress
– Proper nutrition (eat your veggies)
– Healthy lifestyle (exercise and sleep)
– Keep using your brain
– Protect your brain from injury
– Everything in moderation