Short and Long term memory loss 1
Introduction.
The human mind has the power and capacity to store experiences and information and can also retrieve them mentally, just like how a computer does. Such activities contribute to the advancement of our daily life cycle. Memory is likewise one of the most significant psychological procedures that we recollect and overlook. In other words, memory is simply the mind working with the brain in harmony: “When the brain is injured through an accident or a disease like a stroke, they are not able to meet their normal life obligations like preparing breakfast for their family or interacting with their children.”As the number of older individuals in the United States grows, the conditions related to dementias additionally increments, expanding the pervasiveness of this baffling and regularly imperceptible disability. “(Adelson, 2005) In memory loss, we will in generallyanalyze ourselves, utilize the term amnesia, and overlook the little subtleties that downturn, stress, tension, and so forth are related to memory loss.” Amnesia is the most widely recognized extreme case of memory loss. There are a few variations, including incorporated and retrograde amnesia, explicit material, amnesia explicit to the game, and explicit to the world. As per the feeling, that memory isn’t a unit; however; however, it is composed of various frameworks; memory loss is portrayed as an intricate sickness with a regular forecast. (Markowitsch and Staniloiu, 2012).
Case study: The film 50 First Dates.
This case study is used as an example to explain the concept of memory loss. In this film, 50 First Dates, one of the main characters, Lucy, lives on the island of Oahu with her dad and a sibling. At some point, Lucy meets with a gentleman, Henry, while eating at the neighborhood eatery, and they get along really well. She welcomes him to have lunch with her the following day, and Henry acknowledges. At the point when Henry shows up for breakfast the following day, the discussion with Lucy starts about how his hands smelled like a fish, from the discussion the day preceding. Lucy looks befuddled and discloses to Henry that she has never seen him before and is very confused and tensed. Eatery server Sue reveals to Henry that Lucy had a horrible car accident wherein she endured a catastrophic head injury a year ago and lost her memory temporarily. Henry inquired as to whether she recalled anything or not, and Sue clarified that she, despite everything lucy had long term memory, since it was a different part of the brain that was affected by accident. It was a good explanation in the film. The medial temporal lobe(MTL) is the piece of the mind associated with the short term memory process (Roberts, 2005). The hippocampus of the average worldly flap assumes a basic job in the exchange of transient memory with long-term memory. Sue reveals to Henry that Lucy can recall up to the point when she was involved in the accident and that she basically can’t keep short term memories. The film’s primary care physician determined Lucy to have Goldfield’s condition, a fanciful finding used to portray her condition of memory misfortune, which is firmly connected to amnesia in mature age.
Short term and Long Term memory.
From the synopsis of the film, 50 First Dates, Short, and long term memory loss are the basic sorts of memory loss. Logical investigations and research bolster that short term memory and long term memory are two separate stories in mind.
Transient memory can be depicted as the part or arrangement of the mind which stores data for only a brief timeframe, or the data put away in this piece of the cerebrum is impermanent. In contrast, Long-term memory is a framework which holds tremendous and various data for an exceptionally significant stretch of time. At the point when an individual endures a memory misfortune, he/she could endure either short term memory loss or long term memory loss.
- Short-term memory loss.
A person can be said to be suffering from short term memory loss if that individual can recall things from 20 years ago but cannot recall what happened 20 minutes prior. People suffering from this condition like Lucy in the film 50 first dates can recall past events until the day they suffered short-term memory loss, and afterward, they can only keep a memory for a short time.
The most common symptoms of short-term memory loss include;
- When a person asks the same question over and over again.
- When a person quickly forgets where he/she placed an item over a short time.
- When a person cannot recall what he/she saw or read just a while ago.
Causes of short-term memory loss.
A cerebrum aneurysm can cause both short and long memory loss. Aneurysms are white fixes that distend from the dividers of the cerebral supply routes, as indicated by the Brain Aneurysm Foundation (BAF). Brain aneurysms don’t generally tear, however on the off chance that they do, they can cause seeping in the compartment around the cerebrum. The coagulation bunch builds pressure on the brain and can aggravate, harm, or demolish synapses. Issues with physical capacities and mental capacities may emerge. As per 30 FBA, in 30 instances of past mind aneurysms, memory issues vanish after some time, yet recuperation can take half a month.
A brain tumor can influence memory loss. As indicated by the NIH, treatment for the disease, head wounds or uneasiness, strokes, and strokes can likewise cause short-term memory loss. The absence of oxygen in the cerebrum can debilitate momentary memory. Alcohol and drug abuse, depression, and other head wounds can influence short-term memory loss. For example, conditions such as seizures, epilepsy, sidestep medical procedure, and gloom can likewise influence transient memory. One of the main indications of dementia is transient memory loss.
- Long-term memory loss.
Long-term memory loss occurs when a person cannot recall information at the time of need. The information can be events, facts, or merely a way home.
The common symptoms of long-term memory loss include.
- A person getting lost in a familiar place.
- When a person mixes up words such as calling a spoon a plate.
- Forgetfulness of very common words.
Causes of long-term memory loss.
Severe head injury; head injury due to an accident can lead to long term memory loss, but in most cases, an individual can still regain his/her memory back after going through some form of therapy.
Stress and depression, anxiety, and depression make the brain have very little or no focus or attention. When the mind is stressed, there is overstimulation or distraction, which sometimes affects the ability to remember. Emotional trauma, which causes stress, also leads to a person losing memory.
Excessive use of alcohol and Drug abuse; heavy usage of alcohol and drug abuse have higher chances of causing long term memory loss. This is because alcohol and drugs interfere with multiple brain functions, which, in the long run, leads to brain damage due to excessive usage.
Long term memory loss can also be caused by side effects to the prescription drug e.g., anti-anxiety drugs( benzodiazepines) which, when used for a long time or misused, can lead to a person suffering from long term memory loss.
Hydrocephalus, a condition where there are excess fluids around the brain, also leads to long term memory loss. Excess fluids around the brain will affect the normal functioning of the brain since the brain must operate on its optimum conditions.
Treatment and therapy to Memory Loss.
Different forms of treatment happen with varying forms of memory loss. According to the Mayo Clinic (2017), “a doctor who diagnoses memory loss will perform a comprehensive assessment to rule out other possible causes of memory loss” (Mayo Clinic, 2017). This assessment can include a variety of things: asking questions about your medical history, taking blood samples, or even MRI to examine your brain. The Mayo Clinic also states that “the doctor will assess the person’s current and long-term thinking, judgment and memory. The memory assessment can help determine the level of memory loss and provide information about the type of help needed.” Mayo Clinic, 2017). It is like a memory game; they ask who the president is, they ask where they live, simple things that the patient must know and must continue from there. It is said to exclude Alzheimer’s disease, another type of memory loss.
One of the most common tests among doctors who treat memory loss is the Wisconsin Test Sorting Card (WCST). According to author Jenny MacKay, who wrote “Amnesia” (2009), “doctors have used the Wisconsin Card Classification Test (WCST) since the late 1940s to determine a patient’s good brain” (MacKay 2009). Later in the book, Shaheen Emmanuel Lakhan, author of the Journal of Medicine, quotes: “If the subject does not correspond correctly to a job according to unspecified guidelines, he must be able to change his classification strategy” (MacKay, 2009). In the test, they receive a series of cards with colors and shapes and must find the “right” way to divide them into categories. If they fail, they continue, and the process is repeated until they fail. This helps doctors to get an idea of how your brain works.
The most common treatment for memory loss is called procedural memory. It was to remind the patient what he liked to do. If a patient was a big football fan, this method of treatment requires the patient to be constantly taken to a football environment, for example, B. playing in a stadium or playing football with him. This helps the memory to remember the past slowly.
Other forms of treatment depend on the causes of memory loss. Is it an accident that you lost your memory? The memories you wanted to delete?Or is it the consumption of food that causes memory loss? Certain foods have been shown to cause memory loss. According to Jennifer Wegerer, the function of an Alzheimer’s communicator is that “toxins can cause inflammation, plaque formation in the brain, and impair cognitive function” (Wegerer, 2014). Again, certain types of food can cause brain development, just as food can cause venous congestion. One way to solve this problem is to simply look at the types of foods you eat that have been shown to improve memory, such as coffee, salmon, vegetables, and healthy eating.
During treatment, it is crucial to support the family for the benefit of patients. As with any type of mental or physical illness, you will never want to do this alone. Family members can help each other with photos, tell stories, and even smell the house to release lost memories.
Another very useful form of treatment for memory loss is psychotherapeutic treatment. This method involves treating a patient with psychological means rather than medical procedures. Hypnosis is a procedure that has proven to be effective in treating patients with memory loss. This method can help a patient with a disability to remember their lost memories by focusing intensely and investigating their past.
Amnesia.
To better understand the concept of short- and long-term memory loss, it is important to discuss amnesia. Amnesia is also a form of memory loss in which a person cannot remember facts, information, or experiences. These are the two basic types, but there are others, such as dissociative amnesia, post-traumatic amnesia, and childhood amnesia, to name a few. A subcategory of dissociative amnesia is called “repressed memory.” This is linked to traumatic events, like abuse, where you try to forget things that happened. Post-traumatic amnesia occurs when falls or blows damage the brain to the head.
Childhood amnesia is a more complicated form of amnesia, which hinders the development of the brain and language. These people do not remember pre-linguistic memories very implicitly or explicitly. What would be an implicit memory is how to learn a skill. One of the most famous examples is learning to play the guitar. Maybe someone has learned to play the piano, but they don’t know how to do it anymore. The same applies to hiking, horseback riding, or anything that requires motor skills. Explicit reminders may not remember meeting a teacher. The feeling can tell explicit memories of knowing the teacher
In short, there are many types of memory loss and many different treatments. Although there are many different types, this disease is not shared. Alzheimer’s disease can be mistaken for memory loss as amnesia, although it is an entirely different type of memory loss. The next time you feel forgotten, you don’t have to worry. If you haven’t damaged your limbic system, that’s fine.
References.
Markowitsch, H. J., &Staniloiu, A. (2012). Amnesic disorders. The Lancet, 380(9851), 1429-40. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61304-4i
Adelson., R. (2005). American Psychological Association. Mending Memory. Retrieved June 1st, 2017 from http://www.apa.org/monitor/sep05/mending.aspx
HM, the Man with No Memory. (2020). Retrieved May 17th 2020, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/trouble-in-mind/201201/hm-the-man-no-memory
Wegerer, J (2020). Nutrition and Dementia: Foods That Increase Alzheimer’s Risks. Retrieved May 17th 2020, from https://www.alzheimers.net/2014-01-02/foods-that-induce-memory-loss/
MacKay, J. (2009). Amnesia. Farmington Hills, MI: Lucent Books.
Long-Term Memory Loss: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, and More. (2020). Retrieved May 17th, 2020, from https://www.healthline.com/health/long-term-memory-loss
Short Term Memory Loss: What Every Family Needs to Know. (2020). Retrieved May 17th, 2020, from https://www.healthline.com/health/short-term-memory-loss#diagnosis