Brain injury 'causes false memories'RSS Feed

Brain injury caused by conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia may conjure up false memories, according to research.

Scientists from Cambridge University found that entangled memories may be the cause of confusion in dementia patients, rather than memory loss.

The study, published in journal Science, let rats see specific objects and then an hour later showed them either the same object or a new one.

Rats in the control group spent a longer amount of time exploring the new object than the rats with the brain injury, indicating they were already familiar with the old object.

However, the rats suffering from brain injury spent equal amount of time looking at the old and new objects and an apathy towards the new object in these rats indicates they may have a false memory of it.

Dr Lisa Saksida, one of the researchers, said "This is consistent with reports of memory distortions in dementia - for example, patients may not switch off the cooker, or may fail to take their medication, not because they have forgotten that they should do these things, but because they think they have already done so."

This comes after news that EliLilly, a NHS drug provider, warned that government plans to introduce value-based pricing could hinder access to Alzheimer's treatment.

Serious Law, award winning brain injury law firm

Posted by Timothy Walters

 

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