Consider the earlier example of short-term memory loss: of entering a room and f
ID: 3469163 • Letter: C
Question
Consider the earlier example of short-term memory loss: of entering a room and forgetting your reason for doing so. Also consider distortions of perception and attention from last week.
Individuals can experience difficulty recognizing an object, focusing their attention, or maintaining their short-term memories. Such examples are routine: they occur among many individuals whose brain function resides within the realm of “normal.”
Consider the potential effects on perception, attention, and short-term memory function by damage to different areas of the brain. Also consider the notion that these processes are core elements of higher-level cognitive functions such as language, capacity for abstract thought, and ability to construct plans. These critical brain activities depend on perception, attention, and memory.
For this Application Assignment, you explore effects of psychological and traumatic conditions on cognitive functioning.
The Assignment: (5–7 pages)
· Select one of the following conditions: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), traumatic brain injury, stroke, or autism.
· Explain the nature of the conditions in terms of the following cognitive functions: perception, attention, and short-term memory.
· Explain effects of medications or other strategies to address one or more of these cognitive functions.
Explanation / Answer
There are a variety of conditions that result in more persistent, pervasive or progressive kinds of memory loss. Many individuals who have experienced head trauma have a primary memory deficit – a significant restriction in their ability to store new information. Persons may also experience memory problems as the result of attentional deficits or information-processing limitations that affect earlier stages of the memory system. Variable kinds of memory disruption following head trauma probably reflect the extent and focus of lesions. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a steadily rising public health concern and one of the significant causes of morbidity and mortality.It significantly impacts on an individual's life, in terms of cognitive, behavioral, psychosocial and physical factors, and vocational issues. Among them, cognitive disabilities are often the most disabling and distressing for the affected persons, family members, and the society. Cognitive deficits can significantly impair activities of daily living (ADL), employment, social relationships, recreation, and active participation in the community. Attention and memory deficits may exacerbate or cause additional disturbances in executive function, interpersonal communication skill, and other complex cognitive functions. Visuospatial perception changes such as unilateral neglect, impairments of body scheme, and constructional skills are common in severe TBI persons.Agnosia and apraxia are not uncommon. Executive function allows the person to plan or set goals, initiate behavior, solve problems, anticipate consequences, monitor performance, and respond flexibly and adaptively. Impairments in executive functions may include an inability to perform these cognitive processes and impede daily activities. Sensory and perceptual problems can arise from damage to the right side of the brain or the parietal and occipital lobes of the brain.TBI can disrupt our senses, and also how our perception of what our senses tell us. Visuo-spatial problem are often more noticeable. Possible issues include: drawing objects recognizing objects (agnosia) telling left from right mathematics (discalculia) analyzing and remembering visual information manipulating or constructing objects awareness of the body in space (e.g. climbing stairs) perception of the environment (e.g. following directions) A brain injury can affect our attention or concentration abilities, leading to problems with work, study and everyday living. The injured person may not immediately recognize that their ability to concentrate is any different, and there may be no physical signs to suggest a problem exists. People often mistake problems with attention as a lack of intelligence or motivation e.g. children with a brain injury are seen as an uninterested or lazy student by the school teacher. People who have sustained a traumatic brain injury or other type of brain disorder may: Become easily distracted Have trouble keeping track of what is being said or done Have difficulty doing more than one task at a time Experience information overload Be slower at taking in and making sense of information. A region of the brain called the lateral intraparietal cortex controls attention by filtering out what is and is not important at any given time. This region then stimulates the medial temporal area which influences the processing of visual information, determining what visual information is attended to. If damaged, the ability to maintain visual attention is affected. There is also evidence that the cerebellum, at the back at the brain, has an influence upon attention and concentration as its core role of coordinating muscle activity. TBI can damage parts of the brain that handle learning and remembering. TBI affects short-term memory more than long-term memory. People with TBI may have a tough time “remembering to remember. ”This means remembering to do things in the future, such as keeping appointments or calling someone back when you’ve promised to do so. People with moderate to severe TBI may not remember the incident surrounding the injury. Some short-term memory problems that are common in people with TBI: Forgetting important details of a conversation, such as remembering to pass along a phone message Forgetting where you left things, like keys, a cell phone, or a planner Feeling unsure of what you did or said this morning, yesterday, or last week; this can lead you to say things or ask the same questions many times Losing track of time or feeling unsure of what day it is Being unable to retrace a route you took earlier in the day or week Forgetting all or part of what you read in a book or what you saw in a movie Although TBI affects new memories more than old ones, people with TBI may have trouble retrieving the correct information when needed. For example, you may recognize your aunt and know who she is, but have trouble remembering her name. Or you may be able to define all the words on a vocabulary test, but have trouble remembering the exact word when you’re talking. 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