ABSTRACT
Although it is widely accepted that memory problems are a common consequence of cerebral pathology (Brooks et al., 1986; Wilson, 1987), most studies are based on subjects who have been assessed and treated in the relatively early stages of their lives post-insult. Comparatively little is known about the long-term prognosis of severe memory disorders. Follow-up studies have been reported on particular diagnostic groups, such as the severely head injured (Brooks et al., 1987; Oddy, Coughlan, Tyerman, & Jenkins, 1985; Thomsen, 1987) and stroke sufferers (Bamford et al., 1990). Apart from language studies, such as Wade and Hewer's (1987) study of dysphasia, there is little published on the long-term effects of particular cognitive impairments as they affect numbers of people. Thus, it has not been possible to comment on any general or perhaps lasting effects of memory impairment on groups of people; nor has it been possible to argue either for uniformity or non-uniformity of outcome over long periods of time for people with memory impairment.
