Memory loss

Introduction Memory is a function of recreating information stored in the brain into consciousness, and is a process of preserving and recalling past experiences. There are three basic processes of memory: 1. Memorization: The process of leaving experience in the central nervous system. Depends on the level of consciousness and whether attention is concentrated. Mental fatigue, lack of interest, lack of concentration, and confusion can influence the process of memorization. Serious literacy defects are generally caused by organic causes. 2. Save: that is, information storage. There are three stages, the initial stage is the formation of memory traces through the feeling, this trace is very unstable, the second stage is short-term preservation, and the third stage is long-term preservation. Preservation is the characteristic of nerve tissue. When the obstacles are saved, new memories cannot be established, and the scope of forgetting is increasing day by day. Severe preservation defects are seen in brain organic diseases. 3. Reproduction: the process of arousing and reinventing past experience. Partially or completely lost the ability to reproduce past experience, called forgetting. Forgetting occurs when one or both of the three basic processes of memory are compromised. Memory loss is seen in the symptoms of the nervous system of Whipple's disease.

Cause

Common causes of forgetting are disturbances of consciousness and organic diseases. The disturbance of consciousness may be the process of memorization that interferes with memory, or it may be due to the influence of disturbance of consciousness that cannot form a lasting memory trace to be preserved, or the three processes of memory are damaged, and the temporal lobe in organic disease The frontal lobe damage is most likely to cause forgetting.

an examination

Related inspection

Brain CT examination electrocardiogram

Memory loss can be used as one of the clinical basis for diagnosis. But should pay attention to distinguish the cause of the disease.

A related examination is performed in conjunction with the medical history. The examination must be summarized and analyzed based on the objective material known in the medical history, from which several diagnostic possibilities may be proposed, and then further consideration should be given to those examinations to confirm the diagnosis.

Differential diagnosis

1. Advance forgetting: that is, recalling the events experienced during the period after the disease occurs, and the time of forgetting and the disease begin at the same time. If you can't remember how to get hurt, how to stay in hospital.

2. Retrograde forgetting: that is, recalling events at a certain stage before the disease occurs. The patient can't recall where he was before the injury, what he was doing, and the forgetting may be complete or partial, but most of them only involve a shorter period of time.

3. Cardiac Forgetting: Caused by a heavy traumatic emotional experience, the cause of the disease is often related to the patient making a serious mistake or crime. Forgotten content is limited to things related to certain painful experiences.

4. Progressive forgetting: that is, in addition to forgetting, patients are accompanied by increasing dementia and apathy. As the brain damages, the memory damage is progressively worsened. The most affected are recognition and recall.

5. Staged forgetting: Due to mental factors, there may be a complete forgetfulness of life experience for a period of time, and the memory before and after is good.

6. Localized forgetting: Due to the different parts of the cerebral cortex, visual, auditory, motor and name memory impairments may occur.

7. Comprehensive forgetting: diffuse damage to the brain can cause generalized dementia and comprehensive memory impairment called comprehensive forgetting.

8. Posterior amnesia: At the beginning of the recovery of the disturbance of consciousness after brain damage, the memory was still good. After a period of time, obvious symptoms of amnesia appeared.

9. Systematic forgotten: In the amnesia of brain damage, it is simply forgotten to obtain a late foreign language knowledge, but maintain the knowledge of the native language.

10. Temporary comprehensive forgetting is a sudden onset of the disease, mainly characterized by paroxysmal severe memory impairment. There is no aura before the attack, and the patient's memory structure suddenly and completely stops functioning, so that the patient can't remember the experience at the time of the onset. With the continuation of the attack, the patient can't remember that the performance of the situation is more obvious, and the patient's long-term memory remains intact. It usually lasts for one to several hours. As the seizure subsides, the memory function gradually recovers. First, it can remember the long-term events. Later, it can recall the events closer to the episode. At the same time, the patient gradually shows signs of beginning to remember the local experience at that time. After more than an hour, the patient's memory returned to normal, and after the patient's memory was completely restored, there was still a permanent forgetfulness experienced during the episode, as well as a permanent retrograde amnesia ranging from a few minutes to several hours.

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