essay on the key question about how understanding of memory can help patients with dementia, including 3 PEEL paragraphs about explanations and applying cognitive theories and model to dementia
its components which lines up with Tulving's theory of LTM (1972) , making it more
valid. This also implies that HM’s brain damage was only targeted at his STM and the
other LTM stores were unaffected. This indicates that different memory functions are
located in different brain regions, for example, the hippocampus has an important role
in STM and LTM as HM’s hippocampus was damaged, thus resulting in an inability to
transfer information from STM to LTM. This has led to more attention in neurosurgery,
resulting in more successful brain surgery techniques to avoid damaging the
hippocampus.
In conclusion, case studies are limited to unique individuals with unusual traits
and brain damage, but can still be applied to others to explain the generic functioning of
memory through the nomothetic approach and brain scanning techniques to provide
objective evidence which might in turn help other cases of brain damage as doctors
may already be aware of which areas of the brain they should be cautious with,
suggesting that case studies may benefit society despite their limited generalisability.
DISCUSS THE COGNITIVE KEY QUESTION (8)
Tulving’s episodic memory can explain dementia. Dementia is a progressive
neurological disorder characterised by plaques and tangles forming in the brain
which break connections between neurons, which may lead to memory loss and
concentration loss, and the fact that dementia patients tend to forget more
recent events, until they eventually remember memories from their youth. This
fact is used in validation therapy where dementia patients focus on things and
events they feel familiar with and remember. This helps to calm them down as
they might be confused and distressed by their memory loss.
Baddeley’s dual attentional tests on dementia patients convey cognitive deficits they
face such as lack of concentration due to broken connections between nerves in the
hippocampus and temporal cortex. They had to look at the letter Z on the board and
distractor letters like that letter, however they performed worse on both the
distractor letters tasks and dual tasks. This suggests that dementia specifically
impairs patients’ ability to focus on dual tasks. This implies that it is better to talk
with dementia patients when they are not focused on other tasks so that they are
able to listen and comprehend what they have been told.
Barlett’s schema theory can help treat dementia. This involves schemas being formed
from past experiences and cultural expectations, therefore affecting our recall of
episodic memories. Dementia residents in the Hogewey village are calmer and more
mentally alert because the different schemas they remember from youth are the
different parts of the village. This means that it is advised not to contradict the
patient's current world view or draw attention to what they just forgot as this will
distress them, but rather go along with their beliefs to not distress them and increase
their quality of life even if they are deceived.
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