There’s anterograde amnesia, there’s retrograde amnesia, there’s psychogenic amnesia, and other types of memory loss.
I am trying to find any information/studies/books on loss/dysfunction of working memory, for example inability to keep more than three numbers in your head, or inability to form long sentences due to memory problems. I have no idea what terms to use. Looking around for “working memory” gives me a lot on various psychological models, such as the Baddeley’s model. I’ve found loads and loads of studies measuring different aspects of normal working memory. However, I can’t seem to find anything on pathology thereof – especially due to injury and effects thereof on the person’s ability to function normally.
To be clear I am specifically not looking for anything having to do with anterograde amnesia, but rather ‘inability to keep enough stuff in your head to reason like a normal person’-amnesia and what practical ramifications that might have.
Am I not having luck because such a thing is rare enough not to be well documented or am I just using wrong terms?
IANAD, but have you tried “short term amnesia”? I know some old people who remember 50 years ago like it was yesterday, but not who’s the current President.
Yeah I’ve tried looking up various short term amnesias, but discussion of those rarely distinguish between ability to remember one thing and ability to remember two things simultaneously and are more concerned with ability or inability to remember something to begin with.
What I am interested in is along the lines of the following (It’s a terrible example since it’s not realistic, but I can’t think of anything better right now, somewhat coincidentally)
Who’s the president?
A
Who’s the chief of staff?
B
The president is having lunch with the chief of staff, who is having lunch?
…B…?
The the chief of staff is having lunch with the president, who is having lunch?
…A…?
Maybe “cognitive memory?” I know someone who discovered she seems “bad at math” due to a slightly lower than average facility with her “cognitive memory.” Basically they said she is a little less able than others to keep information “in mind” while working with other information.
I don’t know where the information is either, but I know I’m suffering from it. I’ve basically have forgotten the last two years of my life. If I think really hard, I can remember some points - but my husband tells me I told him something and I can’t remember telling him. I have figured my memory loss is due to illness (mold exposure & mercury poisoning), stress (way too much of it) and hormone imbalances due to pre-menopause. I’m on natural hormones and it is finally helping - I can remember yesterday. If you find anything, I’d love to have a link to it.
Good luck on your search.