People with epilepsy commonly report difficulty in remembering things. Studies have shown that epilepsy and its treatment (AED's) can impair cognitive thinking and concentration. Some find it difficult to remember things from the distant past, while others tend to forget things in short term memory (such as to pick up the mail on the way home from work). Memory difficulties can have a tremendous impact on daily life as both school and/or work performance often decreases.

So what is the cause behind this memory loss?

To understand why this memory loss is so prevalent among those with epilepsy, one must take a look at how memory works.

How memory works

Memory is divided into two different categories: short term memory deals with information that is to be remembered over a period of a few minutes while long term memory is memory stored any longer than this. When a memory is created it is said to be "encoded". From here it either passes through to long term memory to be stored or is forgotten. Long term memory is divided into three categories:

• Procedural Memory These would often be memories carried out without consciously being thought out (e.g. riding a bike). These memories, once learned, are most likely always remembered.
• Semantic Memory Memories of this type are often acquired while reading or at school. They are memories which we have, but are not always sure where they originated from. An example of this would be knowing the name of a city or the location of a country.
• Episodic Memory As the name suggests an episodic memory often consists of memories and thoughts from an individual event that was actually witnessed such as a wedding or birthday.

What causes memory loss?

Memory loss can be attributed to many factors. Some of the most commonly cited factors include: high stress levels, trying to concentrate on too many things at once, being over-tired or feeling unwell. All of these factors can severely degrade memory performance. As we age, these memory loss factors become more pronounced long term and can be caused by a multitude of reasons including:

• Dementia related illnesses e.g. Alzheimer's Disease
• Head injuries
• Shortage of oxygen to the brain e.g. Cerebral Palsy
• After certain types of strokes
• Brain tumour or hemorrhage
• Other degenerative diseases
• Epilepsy

Memory & Epilepsy

People with epilepsy seek out help for memory loss more than any other impairment found with epilepsy. Through research, scientists have discovered that a large portion of memory is stored in the temporal lobe region of the brain.

There are a number of reasons believed to cause the memory difficulties found in people with epilepsy:

• During a seizure, the brain can be best compared to when a computer freezes for a few moments. During a seizure the person will often lose touch with their surroundings and no longer be able to respond. It may seem as though a part of their brain has been "shut-off," when in actuality, their brain is working in overdrive with the majority of neurons misfiring or being sent to the incorrect location. These misfired neurons are the cause of seizures and are also partly to blame for the memory loss experienced by many following a seizure. For memory to work correctly, the brain needs to be continually "self-monitored". This self monitoring system is disrupted by the cascade of neurons misfiring and interfering with memories not fully encoded or stored in the brain. Loss of consciousness during a seizure can also be responsible for short term memory loss for the same reasons noted above.
• Some people with epilepsy also experience unusual electric activity in the brain between seizures which is thought to be the cause of general memory loss. These unusual brain waves also interfere with the way the brain encodes information.
• Certain Anti Epileptic Drugs have been shown to interfere with the functioning of the brain. AED's may not affect only memory functioning, but how fast the brain processes information in the first place. While AED's slow down some brain processes, they often do prevent seizures (a major cause of memory loss found in those with epilepsy). Talk to your neurologist if you feel your AED's may be affecting your memory.

How is memory loss diagnosed?

To gain a better understanding of what memory loss might have occurred (if any), your neurologist may suggest a neuropsychological assessment. The assessment simply involves looking at the processes occurring inside the brain. By viewing a series of pictures, numbers and stories, neuropsychologists are able to determine a far more accurate understanding of how well your memory is currently functioning. By breaking the tests into different sections, the studies will allow neuro-psychologists to determine what is causing your memory loss and if there is any difference between your visual memory (images etc.) and your verbal memory (orally presented information). Tips to help memory

• Keep a diary
• Create a calendar to remind you of appointments
• Make lists to help you remember things
• Use a tape recorder or dictaphone
• Try to get into the routine of taking your pills at the same time each day
• Using a pill organizer or a watch with an alarm on it, can help you remember when to take your pills
• Live a healthy lifestyle. Spending time exercising and eating well each day can have positive effects on mental health
• Don't forget to stimulate not only your body but your mind through daily exercises (crosswords, etc.), reading or by taking a course.
• Try to organize your life and the things in it. By keeping items in the same location (e.g. all of your keys on a key rack), you will have a much easier time locating them when needed
• Post-it notes can be a great way to remember small, hard to remember items such as phone numbers.

No one can possibly remember everything, but through the use of memory aids, the amount of information you can remember (or be reminded of) can be greatly increased. While memory aids may seem to slow you down at first, they can eventually make you far more efficient in your daily life.

Mnemonics

Mnemonics are often used as verbal memory aids to help one remember a long list of items. Mnemonics consist of one or more words arranged as a short poem or a special word. Mnemonics rely on repetition to relay information and building connections between other seemingly unrelated words. Mnemonics are based on the prinicple that humans find it far easier to remember information they can relate in some way to meaningful information in their lives. For example, to remember the order of notes on the treble clef, many piano teachers will teach the mnemonic Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge.

Memory exercises

Memory is such an integral part of life, and to many the thought of losing memory is unbearable. Fortunately there are many ways to combat the loss of memory through the use of memory exercises and keeping your mind healthy and active. Below is a list of links to sites designed to help keep your mind healthy & active.

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What is Epilepsy Auras Epileptic Seizures Non Epileptic Seizures Status Epilepticus & SUDEP Syndromes

Living with Epilepsy Alcohol Depression Driving Employment For Women

Legal Rights Memory Nutrition Recreation