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By Sarah Crane
Rushing. Late for work. Sifting. Shuffling. Retracing steps. Where the heck did I put my keys? Pacing. Tracing. After hours of searching, I’ve found them in the most illogical place: the freezer.
Most of us have had some sort of trouble with memory. Whether searching for our keys, forgetting directions, or – oh! What’s that thing with the letters that you type on? …A keyboard.
There are many different types of memory loss (see Table 1).Fortunately, most people only experience memory loss due to natural aging processes. However, some of us (myself included) have experienced acute, pronounced memory impairment. My own memory loss was due to a severe concussion I sustained last year. I suffered aphasia, memory consolidation trouble, and difficulty with my working memory. Holding a conversation was exhausting because I was unable to remember everything another person was telling me, and I could not access the correct words to respond in real time. I felt a fogginess settling over my brain, blanketing my cognizance. Before the accident, I was very good at keeping a very detailed, busy mental schedule. Suddenly, I found myself booking meetings and subsequently (almost immediately) forgetting them. Once, I was a very preppy girl who always wore dresses and accessories. Yet, I had forgotten how to tie a bow. I could tell you what a bow was, and what it was for. But, my memory escaped me on how to actually construct one. I knew something was wrong.
For the prior year, I had been working for the HOW Foundation of South Florida—a local nonprofit that provides access to hyperbaric oxygen therapy for individuals suffering from traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress. The situation was ironic. Four days after my car accident, I sought hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments. After the first few sessions, I noticed that my mental fog was dissipating and that I could sleep at night. I wasn’t forgetting many procedural challenges. My conversations with others were getting longer. I was getting better.
Though I have no hard evidence, what was likely happening in my brain was damage as a result of a reperfusion injury (i.e., damage caused by inflammation after an initial injury) on the left side of my brain (which researchers have correlated with complex procedural processing and language skills). The hyperbaric oxygen therapy was able to reduce the amount of inflammation caused by my concussion, and was also able to speed up my brain’s healing itself (via neuroplasticity).
My story only explores recovery from one type of memory deficit. It is believed that other conditions, such as vascular dementia, can also be improved with the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments. The reason is because vascular dementia is caused by inflammation in the brain. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy reduces inflammation, and that reduction could result in better cognitive processing. If you or someone local you know could benefit from receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy as a result of a traumatic brain injury, please reach out to Hyperbaric Services of the Palm Beaches at 561-819-6125. The warm, compassionate, knowledgeable staff will be happy to further discuss how hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment can help you and your memory. We only have one brain, so please do what you can to protect and preserve it.
Amnesia
Retrograde Memory difficulties in recalling existing memories
Anterograde Memory difficulties in creating new memories
Post-traumatic Memory difficulties fromphysical trauma
Psychogenic Memory difficulties from psychological trauma
Neurodegenerative Memory difficulties from brain degeneration
Dementia
Alzheimer’s Damage from brain degeneration
Vascular Damage from blood clots or hemorrhage
Categories
Aphasia Difficulty understanding speaking or understanding language
Apraxia Difficulty making physical movements, regardless of health
Agnosia Difficulty recognizing faces of familiar persons or objects
Executive Dysfunction Difficulty planning, organizing, or reasoning
Hyperbaric Services of the Palm Beaches
Palm Court Plaza – 5130 Linton Boulevard, Delray Beach, FL 33484
on the grounds of the delray beach medical center