Memory gaps or memory disorders and forgetfulness are usually disorders of the memory to reproduce new or old information. In healthy people, the ability to store and remember information is possible without interference.
What is a memory disorder?
Memory training is usually applied in the initial stages of dementia and orientation disorder adapted to the particular disease condition. Memory impairment is known in medical terminology as mnestic disorder or dysmnesia. Three forms are distinguished: The selective, quantitative and qualitative memory disorder. In the selective memory disorder, the patient does not remember verbal or spatial information. The quantitative disorders describe a condition in which the patient remembers either much more than usual (hypermnesia) or nothing at all or very little (amnesia). The final group of memory disorders are déjà vu or jamais vu experiences, which are considered distortions.
Causes
Basically, a distinction is made between qualitative and quantitative memory disorders. Selective memory impairment occurs primarily in temporal lobe epilepsy. Such disorders also occur in Alzheimer’s disease. The patient can remember things that happened decades ago, but not current events, new faces or premises. The causes of the selective circle of action are often irreversible diseases that can or must be fatal. The quantitative disorders are subdivided in themselves and accordingly each has different causes. Hypermnesia, for example, is a memory disorder that can occur naturally. Its course can be seen in witnesses during interrogation: They often remember more during the second or third interrogation than they did during the first. This memory impairment is also used in hypnosis. Amnesia, on the other hand, often occurs after a traumatic brain injury – it can pass again, but in particularly severe cases it is permanent. Amnesia also occurs due to other diseases such as migraine, meningitis or dementia. Qualitative memory disorders have harmless causes. False memories, for example, are stored in stressful situations, which can result in a déjà vu experience. Another well-known form of such memory disorders is cryptomnesia, in which an originator falsely but in good faith thinks that an idea originated with him – when in fact he has unconsciously taken it from another source.
Qualitative memory impairment
Content-related memory gaps and disorders are called Qualitative Disorders. In this case, the memory gaps are replaced with invented things. Often this form of memory disorder is found in alcoholics. The medical term for this is: confabulation. The so-called déja vu experience describes a false recognition. In this case, those affected have allegedly already experienced various life situations, although this cannot actually be the case. Conversely, there is also the form of jamais vu experience in which the patients claim to have never experienced a certain situation.
Quantitative memory impairment
This refers to a general memory loss. This may take the form of gradual memory loss or even amnesia. Gradual memory loss is typical in dementia. Here, the short-term memory is particularly affected, while the long-term memory is affected less frequently. For example, those affected hardly remember what they experienced the day before, but can describe exactly what happened 40 years ago. Amnesia is a memory gap that occurs, however, only for a limited period of time. Amnesia often occurs after head and brain injuries, such as concussion or other disorders of consciousness. In this case, patients usually have no memory of what happened before an accident.
Diseases with this symptom
- Concussion
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
- Sleep apnea
- Epilepsy
- Alzheimer’s disease
- ADHD
- Dementia
- Brain tumor
- Stroke
Complications
When designating the complication should include the complete condition disturbance.A complication in medicine is the subsequent symptom of a disorder or an undesirable side effect of a medical preparation when it is used against that health disorder. Complications can therefore occur in the absence of treatment or with treatment. Memory lapses are the eventual complication of natural aging, which may progress into true dementia. Likewise, memory lapses may provoke further complications. Memory lapses are caused by deposits in the brain, which are often triggered by arterial stenosis. Complications occur especially in debilitated people. In severe cases, arterial stenosis can be life-threatening. Memory lapses can be a harbinger of this. To prevent dangerous complications, a clinical examination should be performed after the appearance of suspicious symptoms. If necessary, the patient must be treated as an inpatient in order to eliminate later complications such as pathological memory lapses. Here a plan can be made for the following outpatient therapy against memory lapses as well as the causative health disorder. Memory gaps, however, are only one complication among others that arise in dementia. The healthy lifestyle, avoidance of fatty food and nicotine and regular health checkups can prevent memory lapses. At times, a low-sugar diet is advised. Some medical preparations are stressful to the brain and, as a result, should not be used in this case.
When should you go to the doctor?
Memory lapses are not immediately to be considered pathological. Forgetfulness does not automatically mean impending dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Even in old age, memory lapses are not necessarily an alarm signal. Affected persons should first consider a possible explanatory connection in the case of their own memory lapses or memory lapses of other persons. Often memory gaps occur in stressful situations as if the brain resists too many details at once. Poor spatial orientation and poor memory for faces are also congenital and can occasionally act as memory gaps. However, a doctor should be consulted for memory lapses if dementia or Alzheimer’s disease is suspected. This is the case when a person can hardly or no longer organize his or her daily life due to severe forgetfulness and may even put himself or herself and others in danger. He or she has problems dressing and undressing, preparing food and constantly misplaces objects, which are often found in unusual places afterwards. Memory lapses after a head injury, migraines, fainting or following a state of shock are also reasons to consult a doctor urgently. Taking certain medications can also cause memory lapses. So, unless stressful situations or memory lapses that occur only for a short period of time are familiar to everyone, a doctor should be consulted if memory lapses occur, even if only as a precaution.
Treatment and therapy
Memory deficits are treated primarily as a preventive measure. Subsequent treatment is usually difficult because some memory disorders and the associated activities in the brain are still insufficiently understood. In the case of known disorders such as epilepsy, drugs are prescribed to prevent the seizures. In this way, memory disorders no longer occur. In incurable diseases such as Alzheimer’s, at least preventive medications are prescribed to alleviate the condition and delay the progression of the disease. For other memory disorders such as amnesia, it often only helps to wait for memory to return. Meanwhile, the other symptoms and manifestations brought on by the trigger of the condition are usually treated.
Outlook and prognosis
Usually, memory lapses are only accompanying symptoms of another disease. If they appear suddenly, a doctor must be consulted, as this may be another serious problem. The further course of this disease depends strongly on the strength of the memory gaps and their origin. In case of only small gaps and disturbances of the memory, it is quite possible that these occur only temporarily and disappear after a short time. Memory gaps often occur in older age and are completely normal. They often turn into dementia in old age. Unfortunately, this disease cannot be treated directly.The affected person is then dependent on the care and help of other people. Memory lapses can also be the harbinger of arterial stenosis and should be examined more closely, especially in weak people. Memory lapses can be limited by a healthy diet and by avoiding nicotine. However, they are not reversible. Therefore, without treatment, a person may be unable to cope with everyday life on his or her own because of the memory gaps. If the memory lapses occur after an accident or injury to the head, a doctor must be consulted urgently. Here, epileptic seizures may occur if these disorders are not treated in time.
Prevention
Memory disorders caused by diseases can be prevented at most by strictly adhering to taking the prescribed medication. It is easier to protect oneself from memory disorders that occur naturally. Each person must develop his or her own individual strategy for remembering things better. This can help against typical age-related memory disorders. Especially for scientific work, it is important to be clear about the sources. Helpful are, for example, lists, mind maps or other techniques that should help to memorize facts better exactly and to look them up again later if necessary.
What you can do yourself
Success in treating memory lapses depends very much on the physical and mental state of the person affected. As a rule, memory lapses occur mainly in older age and cannot be completely avoided. Different people are affected differently by the memory gaps. However, there are also diseases that cause the memory gaps, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Unfortunately, these diseases cannot be treated. The patient must live with the memory gaps and is often dependent on outside help. If the memory gaps occur in the younger years, learning games and brain games can remedy the memory gaps. Often, targeted training leads to success. Medication is not usually used in the treatment of memory gaps. To prevent the memory gaps, people should specifically train their memory. This is possible with books and with various games on the computer. Older people can also make use of these options. If the memory lapses occur after an accident or a blow to the head, it is essential to call a doctor. This may be a trauma that triggers the memory lapses. There is limited treatment for these symptoms, and the success of treatment depends greatly on the patient’s condition.