Getting familiar with a number of memory disorders

Perhaps it would be quite an awakening experience to imagine what your life would be like if you lost your own memory. It's quite tough to have memory loss. There are various types of memory disorders, and they all result from damage to neuroanatomical structures in the brain that hinder memory storage, retention, and recollection. Dr. Curtis Cripe talks about some of them on today's blog.

1. Agnosia

Agnosia is characterized by the inability to recognize certain objects, people, or sounds. Imagine yourself holding something as common and mundane as a vegetable like a tomato in your hand but not knowing its name all of a sudden. Or maybe another example would be when a car is honking at you, and you wouldn't know what to make of the honking sound. Agnosia is typically caused by a neurological disorder or damage to the brain's occipital or parietal lobes.

2. Alzheimer's disease

Arguably the most common form of dementia is Alzheimer's disease, says Dr. Curtis Cripe. Alzheimer's is a severe cognitive impairment case, which worsens through time, making it a degenerative disease. It is a fatal brain disease, in which cell to cell connections in the brain are lost. Statistically, there are far more female Alzheimer's patients than males, and it has been observed that the cognitive decline in women is more rapid.

3. Amnesia

Quite a popular theme in more than a few Hollywood movies, amnesia is one of the more widely known forms of memory disorder. What makes it a peculiarly abnormal mental state is that it shows that memory and learning are affected, even if the patient is alert and responsive in other aspects. For instance, the patient may not know their name or even recognize the people in their life, but they have not lost their lexicon of words or the ability to converse. The patient who has amnesia may even form coherent thoughts and sentences, Dr. Curtis Cripe adds.

Curtis Cripe hails from a multidisciplinary academic and professional background that includes aerospace engineering and psychophysiology. He is the director of research and development at the NTL Group, a company specializing in neuroengineering programs to diagnose and treat a wide array of neurological dysfunctions. For related information, visit this page.