We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Health

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is the Connection Between Stroke and Memory Loss?

Mary McMahon
By
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 10,471
References
Share

Stroke and memory loss are closely connected, as strokes can damage the brain and brain damage causes memory loss. Stroke survivors commonly report at least some memory loss in association with their strokes. The good news is that this is often reversible through rehabilitation and therapy, although not always. After a patient has had a stroke, a rehabilitation specialist should visit the patient in the hospital to perform an assessment and make an accurate estimate of the patient's ability to recover.

When people experience strokes, part of the brain is injured due to hemorrhage, increased pressure, or lack of blood supply. The brain is a very flexible organ and can often adapt, with time, to injuries, depending on the location of the damage. When strokes involve the areas of the brain where memories are formed and stored, patients can develop memory loss. Some may experience a rewiring of their brains after the event, allowing them to recover their cognitive abilities, while others may have permanent memory problems.

Stroke and memory loss can take a number of forms. Some patients have trouble forming new memories. Although they are able to recall events before the stroke, they are unable to acquire new information. Other patients may have short term memory loss; they can remember events 30 years in the past with clarity, but have trouble with the last day. Stroke and memory loss can also involve the development of delusions, caused by the brain's attempt to adapt to the damage, and this may lead to the creation of false memories. The patient can think that these events really happened and may experience distress when corrected.

A phenomenon known as vascular dementia is closely connected to stroke and memory loss. Patients with this condition experience an overall decline in cognitive abilities as a result of brain damage. It is often compared to Alzheimer's disease in terms of how it affects cognition. These patients will be less able to perform basic cognitive tasks and can experience mood changes in association with their altered brains.

As soon as memory loss is identified after a stroke, rehabilitation can be used to help patients recover memories and develop techniques for compensating if they have trouble forming new memories. The connection between stroke and memory loss is well known, and patients are usually evaluated many times in the hospital during stroke treatment and recovery for signs of cognitive impairment like memory problems. People around a stroke patient can help by making sure the patient knows who they are and providing patients with information about their shared past, as in “I'm Ted, your neighbor, I'm looking after your horses while you're in the hospital.” Some stroke patients also benefit from playing memory games to sharpen memory skills.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Link to Sources
Mary McMahon
By Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGeek researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
By anon145137 — On Jan 22, 2011

I had a brain stem hemorrhage on March 1999 at the age of 54 and I was in hospital where my wife was told that there was nothing they can do since it had already happened and to wait for 24 hours. It will be 12 years on this March, without much cognitive impairment, but with some difficulty in my left leg and hand but I was able to travel all over the world and these 12 years have been the golden period of my 65 years of life.

My brain stem damage helped me to prepare for the ultimate death of this physical body, which I am prepared to depart any moment with a smile.

We get what we deserve in this life, but not what we desire!

I had a wonderful life and the main source of my life especially in the last 12 years is my life partner and my children to which I will be most grateful for ever.

Hope this will give courage and braveness to face life as it comes after any illness.

What we sow, that we also reap is the answer for everything in this short journey of human life.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a...

Learn more
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-is-the-connection-between-stroke-and-memory-loss.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.