Vascular Dementia

Vascular dementia is a form of memory loss, which is caused by the loss of nerve cells in the brain that occurs after a stroke (Novitzke, 2008). This particular form is so severe that it causes the patient difficulty with their day-to-day life functions and typically presents as difficulty with learning new things, remembering names, difficulty finding words, and/or getting lost in previously familiar places (Novitzke, 2008). This form of memory loss is very different from PTA as it does not go away on its own and there is no guaranteed treatment for it. There are types of rehabilitation that can help a person to cope with the condition and to enable a person to reach the highest level of independence possible with their condition, but the memory lost as a result of the stoke can never be fully restored (Novitzke, 2008).

Improving Memory

While there are numerous conditions and causes that can result in memory loss, there are always ways to improve one's memory. Episodic memory, which allows people to remember past events, may be able to be improved with ability training. Ability training capitalizes on neural plasticity to improve function (Klingberg, 2010); this training requires a person to repeatedly perform a task in order to strengthen the cell assemblies that represent task-relevant information (Ranganath, Flegal, & Kelly, 2011). Based on this theory a person could improve their episodic memory by repeatedly performing a task, which would then make it easier for them to recall and perform that task in the future. A writer might use this memory improvement technique to explain how a character easily learned a new skill, weapon, ability or language. This theory would apply to improving a person's or character’s memorization skills as well.

Another way to improve one's memory is to practice retrieval; this is different from memorization because it is not just memorizing facts, but instead practicing retrieval of information. In practice retrieval, a person or character might read a chapter of a book and then write down everything they recall, then reread the chapter and write down what they remember using a concept map (Karpicke, 2016). This method helps to improve memory by practicing information retrieval to make it easier to retrieve information in the future. This would be a great way for an author to explain how a character is able to remember so much information.

References

Cantu R. C. (2001). Posttraumatic retrograde and anterograde amnesia: pathophysiology and implications in grading and safe return to play. Journal of athletic training, 36(3), 244–248.

Karpicke, J.D. (2016). A powerful way to improve learning and memory. Psychological Science Agenda.

Klingberg, T. (2010). Training and plasticity of working memory. Trends Cogn Science, (14), 317–324.

Novitzke J. (2008). Privation of Memory: What can be done to help stroke patients remember?. Journal of vascular and interventional neurology, 1(4), 122–123.

Prowe, G. (2010). Post-traumatic amnesia after brain injury: excerpt from brain injury success books. Retrieved from https://www.brainline.org/article/post-traumatic-amnesia-after-brain-injury

Ranganath, C., Flegal, K. E., & Kelly, L. L. (2011). Can cognitive training improve episodic memory?. Neuron, 72(5), 688–691. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2011.10.022