
Memory loss is a common symptom of stroke, with one-third of stroke survivors experiencing difficulties with memory. The memory loss can take the form of aphasia, where the patient forgets words and loses the ability to communicate verbally, or they may forget stories, conversations, or faces and routes that were once familiar. While medication cannot reverse memory loss, there are several ways to improve memory post-stroke. This includes brain exercises, such as games, repetition, and puzzles, as well as creating a routine, keeping a consistent schedule, and staying physically active.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Memory loss after a stroke depends on | Age, severity of stroke, where the stroke occurred, and support from family and friends |
Memory loss can take the form of | Aphasia, forgetting words, losing the ability to communicate, forgetting stories or conversations, or not being able to recognize familiar faces or routes |
To improve memory post-stroke | Stimulate your brain with games, repetition, exercise, and a brain-boosting diet |
Brain-healthy diet includes | Fresh fruits and vegetables, fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, plant-based foods, nuts, beans, berries, whole grains, poultry, fish, and olive oil |
Avoid | Sweets, fried foods, butter, cheese, and red meat |
Memory involves | Encoding information, storing information, and recalling stored information |
Types of memory | Episodic memory, prospective memory, semantic memory, verbal memory, visual memory, and working memory |
To improve memory post-stroke | Consult a speech-language pathologist and/or occupational therapist for personalized exercise programs |
Rehabilitation exercises | Games, paper and pencil activities, technology-based exercises |
Compensation strategies | Reminder apps, routine setting, simplification, lists |
To improve memory post-stroke | Use calendars, diaries, notepads, and notes |
To improve memory post-stroke | Set phone reminders, leave things in the same place, use labels, jot down notes, repeat and study information |
To prevent memory loss post-stroke | Control high blood pressure, regular check-ups, exercise, healthy diet, quit smoking, maintain normal cholesterol and blood sugar levels |
What You'll Learn
Memory games and puzzles
Card Games
Card games involving matching, such as Concentration or Go Fish, can help enhance working memory skills. More advanced games, such as Simon (which involves repeating visual sequences) or Guess Who? (which involves categorizing pictures by similarities and differences), can provide an added memory challenge.
Paper and Pencil Activities
Word searches, spot-the-difference pictures, or Sudoku can enhance memory skills. These activities are often available in beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels, allowing them to be easily adapted to the abilities of the person recovering from a stroke.
Technology-Based Exercises
There are many technology-based programs and apps designed to improve memory and cognitive function, such as the CT Speech & Cognitive Therapy App, Lumosity, or virtual reality games. These tools can provide a wide range of exercises and automatically adjust to the user's ability level.
Puzzles
Puzzles, such as crosswords or jigsaws, can be an excellent way to engage the brain and improve memory. Crosswords help with verbal memory, while jigsaw puzzles stimulate visual memory and the ability to recognize shapes and patterns.
Board Games
Playing board games with family or friends can be a fun and social way to improve memory. Games like Scrabble or Monopoly require strategic thinking and memory recall, and can be adapted to different skill levels.
It is important to note that while these games and puzzles can be beneficial, it is also crucial to work with a speech-language pathologist and/or occupational therapist, who can create personalized exercise programs and help address any other cognitive skills that may have been affected by the stroke.
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Speech therapy
A stroke can cause various speech disorders, including:
- Aphasia: a disorder that affects language, speaking, and understanding. It can range from mild to severe, depending on the location and extent of brain damage. Signs include difficulty finding words, placing words in the wrong order, and misunderstanding what people mean.
- Dysarthria: an impairment in speech characterised by slurred speech, poor pitch control, and poor loudness, rhythm, and voice.
- Dysphonia: weakness or paralysis of the muscles in and around the vocal cords, resulting in a whispered, hoarse, or rough voice.
- Apraxia of speech: when messages from the brain become disrupted due to damage to areas that control muscle coordination. This results in difficulty forming words and controlling the muscles in the lips and tongue.
- Stimulate the brain: Speech-language therapy stimulates the brain to make new neural connections from uninjured parts of the brain to those affected by the stroke.
- Improve reading and writing skills: Aphasia often results in difficulty reading and writing. Speech therapy can help patients practice and improve these skills.
- Strengthen tongue and lip muscles: Tongue and lip exercises can help improve speech production and oral motor skills.
- Improve word-finding and language production: Speech therapy exercises can help patients practice producing sounds and pairing consonants and vowels, improving their ability to find the right words.
- Enhance cognitive components of language production: For patients with apraxia of speech, reading aloud can provide an opportunity to practice speaking, as their ability to move the lips and tongue may be impaired, but they can understand language.
- Teach alternative communication methods: Speech therapy can help patients learn new ways of communicating, such as using gestures, writing, or communication aids.
- Improve memory: Speech therapy exercises can help patients practice memory and cognitive function, such as through the use of mnemonic devices.
- Promote independence: Speech therapy can aid stroke survivors in maintaining their independence by providing compensatory strategies and improving their ability to communicate and live better in real-life situations.
Tips for communicating with stroke survivors:
- Face the person directly when speaking.
- Speak slowly and clearly in short, simple sentences.
- Minimise background noise.
- Use gestures, writing, or pictures to aid communication.
- Give the person time to communicate and don't finish their sentences.
- Be respectful, as aphasia does not affect intelligence.
Additionally, speech therapy can be done in person or remotely via teletherapy, which offers convenience and comfort for patients recovering at home.
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Physical exercise
Stroke survivors can improve their memory by engaging in physical exercise. In this section, we will discuss the benefits of physical exercise and provide examples of suitable activities.
Benefits of Physical Exercise
Examples of Physical Exercises
- Walking: Getting out of bed and moving as much as possible is recommended. Walking can be an excellent form of exercise to improve mobility and increase blood flow to the brain.
- Dancing: Dancing to music can improve coordination, strength, and balance. It is a fun way to combine physical and cognitive exercises, as it challenges both the brain and body to coordinate movements with the music.
- Sports: Sports simulation video games, such as Wii Sports Resort, have been found to improve cognitive functions like attention, processing speed, and working memory in stroke survivors.
- Aerobics: Aerobic exercises, also known as "neurobics," can be beneficial. These are activities that challenge your brain in new ways, such as brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand or taking a new route when walking.
- Virtual Reality: Virtual reality rehabilitation systems, such as VAST, offer motor-cognitive activities that can be performed in physiotherapy practices.
- Physical Therapy: Stroke survivors can benefit from physical therapy exercises that target body movement and strength, which can aid in overall stroke recovery, including memory improvement.
It is important to consult with a healthcare professional to determine the most suitable physical exercises and create a personalized rehabilitation plan. Additionally, combining physical exercises with brain exercises and a healthy diet can further enhance memory improvement and overall recovery.
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Brain-boosting diet
Eating a healthy, brain-boosting diet is an important part of recovering from a stroke and improving your memory.
What to Eat
- A diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables is recommended. Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, which can help reduce damage to blood vessels, as well as potassium, which can help control blood pressure.
- Focus on plant-based foods, especially leafy greens, nuts, beans, berries, and whole grains.
- Eat fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
- Consume lean meats, poultry, eggs, tofu, nuts, seeds, legumes, and beans.
- Include dairy products like milk, yoghurt, and cheese, or their alternatives, mostly reduced fat.
- Drink plenty of water.
What to Limit or Avoid
- Limit foods high in saturated fat, such as biscuits, cakes, pastries, processed meats, fried foods, and snacks.
- Limit foods containing mostly saturated fats, like butter, cream, cooking margarine, coconut oil, and palm oil.
- Limit salt intake, as it can raise your blood pressure.
- Limit sugar, as it can damage blood vessels.
- Alcohol should be limited or avoided, as it increases the risk of another stroke.
The MIND Diet
The MIND diet, a combination of the Mediterranean and DASH diets, is specifically designed to influence brain health and delay neurodegenerative diseases. This diet includes:
- Lots of plant-based foods, especially leafy greens, nuts, beans, berries, and whole grains.
- Occasional servings of poultry and fish.
- Healthy fats like olive oil.
- Limited consumption of sweets, fried foods, butter, cheese, and red meat.
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Memory exercises and rehabilitation
Memory loss is a common symptom of a stroke, but there are ways to help improve your memory. Memory involves three steps: creating the memory, storing the information, and recalling the information. There are different types of memory, including:
- Episodic memory: used for past or recent events and experiences
- Prospective memory: involves remembering future activities
- Semantic memory: used for concrete information, like facts and concepts
- Verbal memory: includes words, stories, or other verbally presented information
- Visual memory: used to recall pictures, faces, routes, or other visual information
- Working memory: a temporary store for a small amount of readily accessible information
The type of memory affected by a stroke depends on which areas of the brain were impacted. For example, a stroke in the hippocampus may affect the ability to form new memories, while a stroke in the thalamic or medial temporal lobe may disrupt episodic memories.
- Cognitive Rehabilitation: This involves retraining cognitive functions such as memory and teaching compensation strategies to cope with impaired skills. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and occupational therapists can help address memory problems after a stroke. They can create personalized exercise programs and determine if other cognitive skills have been affected.
- Neuroplasticity: The brain has the ability to heal and rewire itself after an injury, adapting to gain or regain functions. This process is activated through massed practice, which involves consistently and repetitively performing specific tasks. Over time, the brain strengthens the neural pathways associated with these tasks, improving memory.
- Rehabilitative Exercises: Repetitive practice of memory activities can help improve memory. Card games, paper and pencil activities, and technology-based exercises can all be used as rehabilitative exercises. For example, games like Concentration or Go Fish can enhance working memory skills, while apps like the CT Speech & Cognitive Therapy App provide exercises to improve cognition and language.
- Compensation Strategies: While recovering memory functions is ideal, it's also important to learn how to compensate for memory problems. Occupational therapists can help find techniques to promote functional independence. This may include using reminder apps, setting a consistent routine, simplifying tasks, using lists, and keeping things in the same place.
In addition to rehabilitation, certain lifestyle factors can also help improve memory:
- Brain-Boosting Diet: A diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, fish with omega-3 fatty acids, and plant-based foods can support brain health and recovery.
- Exercise: Staying active and getting regular physical activity can boost neuroplasticity and promote memory recovery.
- Rest and Sleep: Tiredness and stress can make it harder to concentrate and remember things. Getting enough rest and planning time to relax throughout the day can help improve memory retention.
- Reduce Stress and Emotional Problems: Emotional issues like anxiety can impact your ability to concentrate. Addressing these problems can help improve your memory.
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Frequently asked questions
Memory loss is a common symptom of a stroke, but there are several things you can do to help get your memory back. These include:
- Stimulating your brain with games and puzzles
- Working with a speech specialist to stimulate the brain to make neural connections
- Leaving reminders for yourself
- Creating a routine and sticking to it
- Getting organised
- Repeating and rehearsing new information
- Staying active
- Eating a brain-healthy diet
If your short-term memory has been affected, you may find it difficult to remember what someone just said to you or what you were about to do. If your long-term memory has been affected, you may find it difficult to remember important dates or appointments, where you've put something, or someone's name.
Card games involving matching, such as Concentration or Go Fish, can help enhance working memory skills. More advanced games that involve repeating visual sequences or categorising pictures can also be beneficial.