Conditions That Cause Confabulation

The human brain is full of mysteries, and one of the most unusual psychiatric issues that can develop is confabulation, a type of memory error where an individual has false memories. A person dealing with confabulation does not intend to deceive others, but they are under the impression of completely false facts and that their memories are true. The patient may give relatively coherent and logical accounts of their false memory, or the fake memory may have elements of fantasy, fairy tales, or history that make it entirely illogical. Confabulation is fairly rare, and it is usually a sign an individual has some sort of cognitive issue. Learn about the medication conditions that can cause confabulation now.

Dementia And Alzheimer's Disease

Dementia is a type of memory loss and impaired thinking skills, and is common in old age. Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative condition where sticky plaques of protein build up in the brain and damage brain cells. It is normal for individuals with dementia or Alzheimer's disease to lose important memories, including things like names of loved ones, past events, or knowledge of upcoming events. In some patients, the brain responds to these lost memories by trying to create new ones. For example, when a senior with dementia tries to recall a birthday spent skiing with a loved one, their brain may forget the skiing and instead suggest the birthday was spent visiting a zoo. Seniors with dementia often get very upset if they are confronted by the fact these memories are false, and they are likely to forget the confabulated memories all over again within a short amount of time.

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Korsakoff Syndrome

Korsakoff syndrome is a type of extreme memory impairment that occurs due to the extreme lack of thiamine (vitamin B1). While it frequently is the result of alcoholism, there are other causes, such as chronic infections, cancer, and poor nutrition. Individuals with Korsakoff syndrome are more likely to have spontaneous confabulation instead of provoked confabulation. This means their false memories show up seemingly out of nowhere. Instead of being provoked by an inability to remember something or a recent event, the confabulations have no obvious link to a memory the individual cannot recall. Patients with this condition often have Wernicke encephalopathy too, which is a type of swelling in the brain that causes trouble moving and seeing properly, and it happens when the vitamin B1 deficiency progresses.

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Split-Brain Syndrome

The human brain is naturally divided into two separate hemispheres with separate functions, but it normally has a bundle of nerves linking the two sides of the brain, allowing them to communicate. If the connective nerves are severed in an injury, damaged in a stroke, or harmed by a tumor, an individual can end up with split-brain syndrome. This syndrome makes it very hard to manage coordination and participate in tasks requiring simultaneous use of both parts of the brain. Technically, this is not a type of memory loss, because all memories are retained in the brain. However, it is hard for the brain to properly access memories in response to certain types of stimuli. Since the brain uses the left hemisphere for language, patients with split-brain syndrome struggle to discuss memories reliant on information the right hemisphere processes. Their brain may respond to this issue by trying to come up with confabulated memories when they need to discuss something.

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Traumatic Brain Syndrome

Many incidences of confabulation are linked to a past injury. Individuals who have brain damage may suddenly develop false memories that are very hard to shake. Traumatic brain syndrome can be caused by a huge variety of issues, ranging from a blow to the head to a stroke. In some cases, even a fairly light injury may be enough to cause confabulation to occur. Individuals who get damage to their inferior medial frontal lobe are far more likely to confabulate than those who have damage to other parts of the brain. This part of the brain is associated primarily with producing speech, storing memories, and processing language, so when it is damaged, all sorts of memories and responses get mixed up. Patients who get amnesia following a traumatic brain injury are more likely to experience confabulation, but it can happen even in those who do not have any profound amnesia.

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Anton's Syndrome

Anton's syndrome is an incredibly rare disorder that has only even been detailed in twenty-eight medical cases. Also called visual anosognosia, this is a type of brain damage that harms the occipital lobe. Due to this brain damage, the individual is entirely incapable of seeing. However, in a very unusual twist, the confabulation caused by Anton's syndrome results in a patient who strongly believes they can still see. Despite all sorts of evidence they are blind, patients may continue to insist they can see because the confabulation is so strong. Their brain fills in all the missing sensory input, so individuals may believe they can see a room and their surroundings clearly. However, when asked to describe the surroundings, it will be evident the person is not actually seeing them. They may do things like attempt to walk through a wall because they see a door there or run into furniture they do not realize exists.