I just finished talking to a friend (who isn’t schizophrenic and is a computer guy) about my memory issues. I have a hard time processing information as it is told to me and I also have a hard time remembering things very well.
I was listening to a higher management figure today give me instructions on things to do and I heard what he first said but as he continued talking I only remembered and retained the last 80 percent of it. I lucked out that the first thing he told me was thereafter done by him and off of my plate but it was still frustrating to have happen.
This isn’t my first experience like this but after talking with my friend we likened it to RAM in a computer which can only process so much before it can’t process anymore. So I sort of have what you could call an ‘overflow error’ where I can’t fully keep something in my memory if it is too big. I have had to make myself lists, which he likened to ‘writing to disk’ ha, and lists work much better than trying to remember what I have to do. Even now I am having a hard time recalling what all my friend and I talked about, it is really frustrating.
The gist of it though is my working memory isn’t very good. Does anyone else have these issues and if so what exactly does it feel like for you and what do you do to deal with it?
I get this too. I find that when my brain feels “smooth”, like there isn’t much inflammation going on, my memory recall and ability to track a conversation is much better. When there’s a lot of inflammation, my brain fog comes back with a vengeance and I start zoning out and such.
I keep everything in an Excel file- notes, to-do lists, budget, meals plans, etc. If I don’t have my computer with me, I use Samsung Notes on my phone and then write it down in my Excel file when I get home. It really helps me to keep it all in one place.
Do you have the same sort of issue though being able to process more complicated instructions or lengthy dialogue? I have a hard time picking out key points in conversation.
Yes. I have to close my eyes and really focus on a conversation or I get distracted. And for written things, I highlight then re-write to help me memorize.
Has it always been that way for you or did it come more or less with schizophrenia? I used to have a very good memory but since being diagnosed I have had a lousy one.
Using my cognifit assessment which measures out of 800
Working memory = 427/800 = 47% better than me.
Tim has received a high score in the area of working memory, which refers to the
temporary storage and manipulation of the information necessary for complex
cognitive tasks. Example: When you’re at the grocery store, you realize that you left your credit card at home and only have $50 in cash. You look at your cart and add up the price of all of the items that you have and remember the total. You then realize that you can’t buy anything else and go to check out.
The high score comment is an exaggeration.
Bad ones are : visual short term memory 35/800 96% better than me
Tim has received a low score in the area of visual short-term memory, which is the
ability to temporarily remember a small amount of visual information. Example: While
you’re driving on the highway, you pass a sign with the 4 closest destinations. After a
few seconds, you try to remember the distance to each of the destinations
non verbal memory 128/800 84% better than me .
Tim has received a low score in non-verbal memory, which is the ability to code, store,
and recover information about faces, shapes, images, songs, sounds, smells, tastes,
and feelings. Example: Remembering the melody of a classical piece of music requires
our non-verbal memory.
hi. brandotron i write things down but also i try to remember what i forgot i.e. what i was going to do. it takes me some extra time for my brain to make the connection but since i’ve been at it it has improved somewhat. the connection is there now where before i started trying there was nothing…
I gotta tell you I was going downhill fast and I thought, boy there is something really wrong with me. I couldn’t remember the simplest things. I couldn’t even hold 2 numbers in my head. I started taking fish oil for my cholesterol and my memory started to improve. I would say it took a good month to really notice a difference but it really works. You gotta check it out. I promise you won’t be disappointed. I only pay about $3 for a month supply from the pharmacist but you can get it off the shelf if you want the fancier brand name stuff.
Check your thyroid level. TSH blood test should give value in optimal range preferably less than 1.0
Same with vitamin D and B12.
Thyroid hormones is very crucial for cognition especially for working memory. I’ll add proofs to support this claim.
Even mild thyroid hormone excess activate working memory more.
Conclusion
Our results show an activation of brain areas associated with working memory, including the parahippocampal gyrus, supplementary motor area, prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, posteriorcerebellum, rolandic operculum and insula. The intake of thyroid hormones increased BOLD activity in the right prefrontal cortex as well as the right parahippocampal area. An increased BOLD activity in the hyperthyroid state, as compared with the euthyroid state, can be seen while performing the 2-back task in the the right supplementary motor area, the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the left rolandic operculum, as well as the 1-back and the 2-back task in the right parahippocampal gyrus. All stated areas are associated with memory processes. Our data shows that short-term experimentally induced hyperthyroidism leads to an improvement in accuracy of working-memory tasks. In psychological assessment, the alerting effect in the Attention Network Task (ANT) and four out of five parameters of the auditory verbal learning test (AVLT) showed an increase from euthyroid to hyperthyroid state. It therefore can be concluded that even a short-term intake of thyroid hormones lead to an activation of brain areas associated with working memory.
