 Many causes of memory failure or loss have a neurological basis which results from some form of damage of injury to the brain  Brain trauma = any brain damage that impairs, or interferes with, the normal functioning of the brain, either temporarily or permanently  Neurodegenerative disease = a disease characterised by progressive decline in the structure, activity and function of the brain tissue Brain trauma Inflicted brain injury Intentional blow to the head Violent shaking of the head Acquired brain injury StrokeAccident Degenerative disease Alzheimer's

 A term used to used to refer to memory loss due to any reason  Either partial or complete  Either temporary or permanent  Brain trauma commonly results in some kind of amnesia  Two main typesAnterograde Retrograde

 Inability or difficulty forming new memories  Loss of memory only for information or events after the person sustains brain damage  The memory of information or events prior to the damage still remain  Alzheimers and Korsakoff’s syndrome

 Neurodegenerative disease involving severe memory disorders  Occurs mainly in chronic, long-term alcoholics  Linked with prolonged loss of Vit. B in the diet  Typically appear quite normal, however, many suffer from anterograde amnesia and therefore have difficulty with or an inability forming new memories  E.g. can read a magazine and read again after a few minutes as if it were new

 Inability to remember information previously stored in memory  Memory loss may extend back moments, days, weeks or sometimes years  Often caused to by a blow to the head (e.g. car accident, sporting accident)  Usually of a temporary nature, as time passes memories return, however, memory of events that immediately preceded the injury usually permanently lost.

 22 year old in a motorcycle accident  Week 1: able to converse sensibly, nursing staff considered fully recovered consciousness. When questioned believed it was 11 years earlier and he was a school boy. No recollection of spending 5 years in Australia  Week 2: remembered time in Australia and returning to England, but previous 2 years a blank  Week 3: returned to village had been working in for past 2 years, everything looked strange, no recollection  Week 10: events of past 2 years gradually returned and finally was able to remember everything up to within a few mins of the accident

 Retrograde amnesia: before the event Retro- means backward  Anterograde amnesia: after the event Antero- means forward eventnowpast R A

Instructions  Get into small groups (3-4people)  Collect game cards  Place your hand behind your back  Listen to question and identify which type of amnesia is being referring to  First person in the group to snap the card wins that round

 Complete the worksheet on amnesia

Peter is a healthy 56-year-old man. He rode his bicycle to work and had an accident in which he sustained a head injury that affected his memory, but which did not affect his speech or motor functions. Although Peter regained consciousness soon after the accident, he is unable to recall any of the events that have occurred since the accident. However, Peter still retains all his memories of his life before the accident and he can still recall the events leading up to the accident. Peter’s pattern of memory loss is typical of A. Alzheimer’s disease. B. retrograde amnesia. C. anterograde amnesia. D. age-related memory decline.

William has an acquired brain injury. He has difficulty learning new information and remembering events that have occurred since his injury, however he can remember information and events that occurred prior to his brain injury. a. William suffers from ________________ amnesia. 1 mark b. Despite his amnesia William is able to learn new motor skills such as playing guitar. Which type of long-term memory can William still create? __________________________________________________________________________________ 1 mark

 Dementia and Alzheimer's disease