Key Question

• Key question?

  How can we use our understanding of memory to help patients with dementia?
• AO1

  • Around 850,000 people with dementia in the UK.
  • Caused when the brain is damaged by diseases such as Alzheimer's or strokes.
  • More women are affected than men (2:1 worldwide).

  Implication- growing need for full-time carers, which will strain the NHS and family members.
• AO1

  • Symptoms are cognitive and psychological
  • Cognitive- memory loss, difficulties with thinking and language
  • Psychological- changes in mood or behaviour.
  • E.g. confusion over dates and days and may get upset and frustrated easily.

  Implication- carers of the patients will need to help them deal with their memory loss.
• AO1

  • All types of dementia are progressive and degenerate
  • Structure and chemistry of the brain become increasingly damaged over time.
  • Patient's ability to remember, understand, reason and communicate will gradually decline.

  Implication- as dementia worsens, the patient will need more support with daily living.
• AO1

  • Physical, psychological, social and economic implications to society
  • Patients in the early and moderate stages of dementia rarely use health services
  • Friends and family spend an average of 5 hours per day caring.

  Implication- advice from psychologists could help carers to make practical changes to maximise the help they can provide.
• AO2- Rehearsal

  • Psychologists can offer guidance to carers about using models of memory e.g. MSM to help minimise the effects of memory loss.
  • Rehearsal should be utilised regularly to strengthen the patient's memory trace.
  • Based on MSM, rehearsal would ensure that the info is stored for a long time. E.g. taking same route to the shop each time.
• AO2- Semantic memory

  • To support dementia patients fully, it is important to understand which area of the brain is damaged and what type of memory loss is experienced.
  • Damage to temporal lobes will affect semantic memory (factual info)
  • Using memory aids e.g. visual reminders can make a difference to the patient
  • External cues would reduce the need for the patient to rely upon their LTM which may be affected.
• AO2- Episodic memory

  • As memory deteriorates, it may be useful to have more conversations about personal events.
  • Often episodic memory remains unaffected by dementia
  • Reduce the stress experienced by the patient because it does not involve the recall of specific facts.
  • Family can help patients to maintain episodic memories through the use of diaries and pictures to act as reminders.
• AO2- Working memory model

  • Make sure that any instructions given are presented without distractions
  • E.g. directing the patient when to take their medication should be done without background noise (TV) because the WMM states it is not possible to do 2 language tasks at the same time.