OPTA 204 (Cognition and Memory)
What is Cognition?
refers to information-processing functions, including attention, memory, and executive functions (i.e., planning, problem solving, self-monitoring, self- awareness). Functional cognition is the interaction of cognitive skills and self-care, and community living skills.
Cognition Determines?
- Ability to take care of themselves
- to be safe at home
- to preform ADLs
- to preform IADLs
How to Asses Cognition?
- Standerdized and non standerdized assesments
- First start with a screen and then will go into a more in depth cognitive assesment
What is Memory
Memory is essentially perception that has been stored at an earlier time and can be brought forward. Memory includes permanent change in the CNS which can later be reproduced
Memory includes
-Complex process
-Involves encoding, storing and retrieving
-Memory also involves other cognitive skills like attention
-Associative
-Factors that affect memory include: personality, awareness, lifestyle, depression and anxiety
-Memory organizes information so it can be retrieved later
Types of Memory: Sensory
-Sensory is first phase of individual’s information processing
-Has the capability to produce enormous amounts of information in a short time frame
Types of Memory: Working/ Short Term
- Temporary storage area or “scratch pad”
- Holds information and carries it while we use it
- Ex. remembers beginning of sentence while we hear and comprehend the rest
- Holds approx. 7 pieces of information at a time
- “Control mechanism for higher intellectual processing and function”
Types of Memory: Long Term
- Memories that have been encoded through the working memory
- Associated with the hippocampus
Types of Memory: Explicit
- You can consciously remember learning it
- To remember this you must have access to the learning experience in your working memory
Types of Memory: Implicit
- You don’t consciously remember learning it but had to have had experiences in which you did
- Involves information whose learning is only reflected by changes in future behavior as a result of the prior experience, without actually remembering the prior experience
- aquired over many different episodes
Types of Memory: Declarative
Is Factual
- Episodic(event) and semantic(Facts)
Types of Memory: Non Declarative
- Unconscious
- Usually information you learned in development (motor skills etc)
Semantic
- Facts or knowledge about the world around you
Episodic
- Knowledge of an event that took place
- Allows you to re experience events that happened a long time ago
Encoding
- Both occur when moving from short term to long term memory
- Encoding is the means by which information is transformed in working memory so it can be stored efficiently in long term memory
- Consolidating is integrating new memories into existing cognitive schema
- This can take minutes or up to hours
Consolidation
- The process begins with selective attention
- How do you remember things you are studying? How about remembering class material?
Retrieval
- final part of memory process
- Two Stages: Search, and Appropriate usage of material into a verbal or motor response
Prospective
- Remembering to do something in the future
*often enviroment or context will trigger a prospective memory
Role of TA in Treatment
-Restorative vs compensatory approaches:
>Restorative: Brain injury
>Compensatory:Dementia
Brainstorm treatments for both
- Card Games
- Cross word
- Crib
- Day to Day Tasks