Abnormal Psychology

698 CHAPTER 15

15.2 • Brain Areas Affected by

Medical Conditions That Cause

Amnestic Disorder Medical conditions

such as a stroke or a head injury can damage

the hippocampus, the mammillary bodies,

and the fornix; this damage can lead to

amnestic disorder.

Figure 15.2g5

Hippocampus

Fornix

Mammillary body

the mammillary bodies, and the fornix (see Figure 15.2 for the locations of these

brain areas). The clinician determines whether amnestic disorder due to a medical

condition is the most appropriate diagnosis after reviewing the patient’s history—

including results of laboratory tests or a physical examination—and determining

that the symptoms are not better accounted for by another disorder, such as disso-

ciative disorder or depression.

Treating Amnestic Disorder

No treatment can cure amnestic disorder. However, depending on the specifi c brain

damage and the areas affected, partial or full memory function can sometimes re-

turn over time; when memory returns, it usually does so within a couple of years

of the onset of the disorder (Wilson, 2004). In most cases, the goal of treatment is

rehabilitation—helping the patient learn to function as well as possible given the

symptoms.

Currently, there are no medications that improve memory in patients with am-

nestic disorder, although patients may receive medication for comorbid disorders.

Rehabilitation of the patient with amnestic disorder typically targets psychological

and social factors: (1) helping the patient to develop strategies to compensate for

impaired memory, and (2) changing the physical environment so that the patient

does not need to rely as much on memory in order to function.

Targeting Psychological Factors:

Developing and Implementing New Strategies

Rehabilitation teaches patients techniques and strategies to use to compensate for

their memory problems (Wilson, 2004), particularly ways of organizing informa-

tion so that it can later be retrieved from memory more readily. One such strategy

is the use of mnemonics, which may help people to remember simple information,

such as where the car is parked at the mall. For example, someone whose visual

memory is not signifi cantly impaired might imagine the location of the car in the

parking lot, which will help him or her retain this information. Another strategy