ABSTRACT
So we all have bad memories (though perhaps not as bad as mine), but what is it like to have a genuine memory problem-not the devastatingly dense amnesia experienced by Clive Wearing and described in Chapter 1, but the much more common level of memory deficit that accompanies many conditions, including stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and traumatic brain injury? A very good account of the problems associated with memory deficit is given by Malcolm Meltzer, a clinical psychologist who experienced memory problems following a heart attack that led to anoxia (Meltzer, 1983). Having given you some idea as to
what it is like to experience a serious memory problem, I will move on to a brief account as to the role that cognitive psychology can play in helping to deal with such problems. This will be followed by an account of what we know about anterograde amnesia, problems in acquiring new memories, and retrograde amnesia, problems in accessing premorbid memories. I will then discuss two major causes of memory problems, namely traumatic brain injury such as might occur following a road traffic accident, and Alzheimer’s disease. The chapter will end with an account of ways in which the psychologist might help patients cope with their memory problems.
