Did you suffer from a head injury after a crash? If so, you are no stranger to the complex and lengthy healing process that follows. Unfortunately, many brain injury victims do not realize how difficult the road to recovery is.
One of the biggest potential issues you may face alongside brain injury is memory loss and damage. It is important to understand the link between the two when moving forward.
How does the brain store memory?
The Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center looks into the impact brain injuries have on memory. The intensity varies depending on how severe the initial injury was. The location of the injury also affects how memory could end up damaged.
For example, the frontal lobe stores short term memory for a duration of 15 to 30 seconds. This is why many people do not recall the incident that resulted in a brain injury. In many cases, the frontal lobe ends up injured and the brain does not store information about the incident as it occurs.
Short term memory loss
If the medial temporal lobe suffers damage, then you may struggle to code short term memories into long term ones. This is not the area long term memories get stored at, though. This is why it is possible to struggle making new long term memories without loss or damage to any that already exist.
It is possible for multiple aspects of memory retention and formation to suffer after a brain injury. It is also possible for these areas to recover at different times. Some people struggle with certain aspects of memory loss long-term. This is why it is crucial to get specialized medical care from a doctor who can tailor the approach to your unique injury and problems.