Reality confusion in spontaneous confabulation

Neurology. 2005 Oct 11;65(7):1117-9. doi: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000178900.37611.8d.

Abstract

A woman produced spontaneous confabulations after rupture of an anterior communicating artery aneurysm. She confused currently irrelevant with currently relevant information in implicit memory; confabulations about people concerned only new acquaintances; false reality could be induced by an intensive 5-minute discussion; and in a recognition task, she confused false repetitions in another modality with real item repetitions. The findings support the theory that the defect causing spontaneous confabulation precedes conscious memory processing.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Basal Nucleus of Meynert / blood supply
  • Basal Nucleus of Meynert / pathology
  • Basal Nucleus of Meynert / physiopathology
  • Brain Damage, Chronic / etiology*
  • Brain Damage, Chronic / physiopathology
  • Brain Damage, Chronic / psychology
  • Circle of Willis / pathology
  • Circle of Willis / physiopathology
  • Confusion / etiology*
  • Confusion / physiopathology
  • Confusion / psychology
  • Dementia / etiology*
  • Dementia / physiopathology
  • Dementia / psychology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Intracranial Aneurysm / complications
  • Intracranial Aneurysm / pathology
  • Intracranial Aneurysm / physiopathology
  • Memory Disorders / etiology*
  • Memory Disorders / physiopathology
  • Memory Disorders / psychology
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Prefrontal Cortex / blood supply
  • Prefrontal Cortex / pathology
  • Prefrontal Cortex / physiopathology*
  • Prosopagnosia / etiology
  • Prosopagnosia / physiopathology
  • Prosopagnosia / psychology
  • Reality Testing
  • Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / complications*
  • Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / pathology
  • Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / physiopathology
  • Time Perception / physiology