Working Memory and Schizophrenia?
Working memory was first explained to me by a psychologist friend as memory in which words, numbers or visual images and spatial relationships are stored for just a few seconds to be manipulated or recalled. I know from an neuro-psychological assessment I had in 2004 that I have a problem as described in the report as “Immediate and delayed recall of visual and non-verbal information.”
I was also tested in these three key areas by Dr. Atilla Turgay during a consultation in his office last summer. He does this test in just a few minutes asking you to remember and repeat back seven digit numbers, sentences forward and backward and then, the one I did terribly at, the positioning of his fingers, hands and legs which I had to replicate.
Lately I have come across references to working memory as fluid intelligence and the I started to get confused. This confusion increased just a few weeks ago when I was reading a blog that referred to a relationship between schizophrenia and problems in working memory. It would seem this is getting pretty far from remembering someone’s phone number or a street address. I accept that my knowledge in this area is limited. In addition, new knowledge in the area of neuroscience seems to be increasing daily.
I will come back to this subject when my own understanding has grown enough to explore it further…