confabulation
Sign in to saveConfabulation is a memory error consisting of the production of fabricated, distorted, or misinterpreted memories about oneself or the world. It is generally associated with certain types of brain damage (especially aneurysm in the anterior communicating artery) or a specific subset of dementias. While still an area of ongoing research, the basal forebrain is implicated in the phenomenon of confabulation. People who confabulate present with incorrect memories ranging from subtle inaccuracies to surreal fabrications, and may include confusion or distortion in the temporal framing (timing, seque
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Article
29 sectionsContents
- Description
- Distinctions
- Signs and symptoms
- Theories
- Neuropsychological theories
- Temporality theory
- Monitoring theory
- Strategic retrieval account theory
- Executive control theory
- In the context of delusion theories
- Fuzzy-trace theory
- Epistemic theory
- Presentation
- Associated neurological and psychological conditions
- Location of brain lesions
- Developmental differences
- Provoked versus spontaneous confabulations
- Confidence in false memories
- Among normal subjects
- Diagnosis and treatment
- Deese–Roediger–McDermott lists
- Recognition tasks
- Free recall tasks
- Treatment
- Research
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
Confabulation is a memory error consisting of the production of fabricated, distorted, or misinterpreted memories about oneself or the world. It is generally associated with certain types of brain damage (especially aneurysm in the anterior communicating artery) or a specific subset of dementias. While still an area of ongoing research, the basal forebrain is implicated in the phenomenon of confabulation. People who confabulate present with incorrect memories ranging from subtle inaccuracies to surreal fabrications, and may include confusion or distortion in the temporal framing (timing, sequence or duration) of memories. In general, they are very confident about their recollections, even when challenged with contradictory evidence.
Confabulation occurs when individuals mistakenly recall false information, without intending to deceive. Brain damage, dementia, and anticholinergic toxidrome can cause this distortion. Two types of confabulation exist: provoked and spontaneous, with two distinctions: verbal and behavioral. Verbal statements, false information, and the patient's unawareness of the distortion are all associated with this phenomenon. Personality structure also plays a role in confabulation.