Features of Memory Consolidation and Reconsolidation Processes in Patients With Cerebrovascular Disorders

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction. Given the high prevalence of cerebral circulatory disorders (both acute and chronic), which are accompanied by a decrease in cognitive functions, for the most part, the effectiveness of rehabilitation and rehabilitation measures depends, among other things, on mnestic processes. The authors describe the characteristics of the memory consolidation and reconsolidation processes in patients with chronic (chronic cerebral ischemia) and acute (ischemic stroke in the circulation of the middle cerebral artery of hemispherical localization) disorders of the cerebral circulation. The study aimed to investigate the processes of consolidation and reconsolidation of memory in patients with impaired cerebral circulation (with acute and chronic cerebral ischemia). Methods. The research methods were methods of “10 words” and “Visual memory” by A. R. Luria, the experiment according to F. Bartlett’s scheme, methods of descriptive and comparative statistics. The total size of the research sample is 57 people aged 65.2 ± 2.78 years. The first group included patients with chronic cerebral ischemia – 21 people; the second group included the patients with left-sided localization of the ischemic stroke focus – 17 people; the third group also included patients who had suffered an ischemic stroke, 19 people – with the localization of the dextrocerebral affected area. Results. In patients with cerebral circulatory disorders, a decrease in short-term audio-verbal and visual-picturesque memory volume was revealed, regardless of the type of cerebral circulatory disorder (acute or chronic cerebral ischemia). In an ischemic stroke of hemispheric localization, a change in the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the memory consolidation and reconsolidation processes has been experimentally proven. This change is a consequence of a decrease in the volume of short-term audio-verbal and visual-picturesque memory. Discussion. The decrease in volume leads to instability of the memory traces, which distorts the consolidated information. In the process of reconsolidation, there is a reduction (in case of chronic cerebral ischemia) and distortion (in case of ischemic stroke of hemispheric localization) of the reproduced information.

Keywords

• visual-picturesque memory
• semantic memory
• memory consolidation
• memory reconsolidation
• cerebrovascular disorders
• ischemic stroke
• chronic cerebral ischemia
• short-term memory
• long-term memory
• memory traces (engrams)