The cognitive mechanisms which underlie the formation of confabulations remain a matter of debate. In the present programme of studies predictors of the presence and clinical course of confabulations, and affective biases in the content of confabulations, were examined. 24 confabulating brain injured amnesic patients, 11 non-confabulating brain injured amnesic controls and 6 healthy participants were assessed on confabulation, temporal context confusion (TCC), insight and mood measures. Confabulating participants were followed up for 9 months. In partial replication of previous findings (Schnider, 2008), TCC scores were raised in confabulating patients compared with healthy individuals. However, TCC was not good at discriminating between confabulating and other brain injured patients. Current results are consistent with the argument that TCC may be sensitive, but not specific to confabulation (Gilboa, 2010). A combination of poor insight and somewhat elated mood state predicted the presence of confabulations in the current sample sensitively and specifically. Initial elated mood score also predicted the clinical course of episodic confabulation. The present results indicated that elated mood and level of awareness into difficulties and well-being may influence ‘core’ mechanisms underlying confabulation (Gilboa, 2010). 4 True and false memories reported by patients were rated for affective content. Although many of them were evaluated as ‘neutral’, more confabulatory memories were labeled as either pleasant or unpleasant, than ‘true’ memories. Location of lesion in terms of whether focal ventro-medial frontal pathology was present or absent, had no effect on this affective bias. The affective state may contribute importantly to confabulation formation (Fotopoulou, 2010; Metcalf et al., 2010).
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:628027 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Bajo, Ana |
| Publisher | King's College London (University of London) |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/confabulation-and-mood-a-programme-of-studies(8b8fcb62-93a5-40da-a70b-13ceb179714d).html |
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