Memory depression refers to the process of forgetting where memories may be purged from consciousness. FMRI studies indicate involvement of neutral mechanism in forgetting with increased activity of bilateral dorsa-lateral PFC (DLPFC) and hippocampus activity, which prompts memory deletion. Such memory loss can also be seen in dissociative amnesia (Hirokazu et al., 2009).
Dissociative amnesia, on the other hand refers to a mental malfunctioning where the affected person is unable to remember some given past occurrences. This normally occurs soon after traumatic events and situation, which are not bearable to the victim. The disorder comes about in an attempt to manage the adverse conditions facing the victim. Studies have been carried out about this issue with diverse findings being established. It has been found out that dissociative amnesia is associated with prefrontal activation, and hippocampus deactivation with frontal control system, which precipitates memory inhibition (Hirokazu et al., 2009).
FMRI experiments were conducted in this study for two patients with dissociative amnesia involving the face and name recognition tasks. Therapeutic interview schemes are entailed within this process through the application of Sodium Thiopental intravenous injection. One patient showed most of the memory loss while the other did not. The experiment was to provide a link of dissociative amnesia to prefrontal activation and hippocampus deactivation (Abe et al, 2006). This experiment was done using face photographs and name of recognizable and unrecognizable persons, as well as control distracters. Responses by the patients before and after treatment were analyzed to form a finding that increased activity in PFC and decreased activity in the hippocampus associated with dissociative amnesia (Hirokazu et al., 2009).
This experimental study has been more successful to those done in the past for it has some exemplary achievements and strengths. This study involves assessment of two patients suffering from dissociative amnesia through brain activity. The process involves viewing both unrecognizable stimuli from amnesia period and recognizable stimuli from non-amnesic period since patients have time limited to retrograde awareness, which after sometime changes. The aspects present within this study ensured the study is highly powerful in relation to the past researches of neuro-imagining studies. The results of this experiment are also consistent with the results of previous studies that show activation loss in MTL; thus, proving to be a reliable process (Hirokazu et al., 2009).
The study gains its importance since it provides a clue for understanding theme memory system in line with Freud’s theory of involuntary memory repression. Thus, this gives some detailed and open proofs that memory at subjugation is in dissociative amnesia related to adjusted neural activity trends. This method also before and after treatment utilizes comparative analysis of the patient’s ability to recall, and this help to bring out the results (Hirokazu et al., 2009).
Though this experimental study has profound strength, it also has its weakness. For example, in adequate researches exists in this project to ascertain some causal association between raised PFC alongside and reduced hippocampus activity; thereby the approach confirms undependable. In addition, this method only uses two patients; therefore, it is not sufficient to make some true conclusions using these methods since a detailed study requires more patients being studied to ensure attainment of proper conclusion (Hirokazu et al., 2009).
The system used in the study can be utilized in the treatment of dissociative amnesia in patient-to-patient basis. The study-utilized questionnaire in testing the memory of the patient, as well as individual patient attended to in accordance to the response they give. The approach in addition, gives some essential details for discerning malingering from real illnesses. Patient response will be used to gauge the mental status of each patient and; thus, ascertain the actual condition and establish whether it amounts to a disease or just ordinary forgetfulness (Abe et al, 2006).
References
Abe, N., Suzuki, M., Tsukiura, T., Mori, E., Yamaguchi, K, and Itoh, M. (2006). Dissociable roles of prefrontal and anterior cingulated cortices in deception. Cerebral Cortex, 16,192–199.
Hirokazu Kikuchi, Toshikatsu Fujii, Nobuhito Abe, Maki Suzuki, Masahito Takagi, Shunji Mugikura, Shoki Takahashi, and Etsuro M. (2009). Memory Repression: Brain Mechanisms underlying Dissociative Amnesia. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 22:3, pp. 602–613.