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.

Uncover the next cause of confabulation now.