Unconscious auditory information-processing during general anaesthesia

This dissertation aims to examine the possibility of cognitive processing and memory storage in anaesthesia. It consists of four parts. The first section provides a brief outline of unconscious mental processes in psychological research. Next, a review of the experimental studies of unconscious perception duting anaesthesia is given. The third part contains four empirical investigations of stimulus registration in anaesthetized patients. Finally, the research findings are evaluated, and implications for clinical practice in anaesthesiology and suggestions for future research are presented

Effect of self-rated health on cognitive performance in community dwelling elderly

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of self-reported health on. cognitive function in community dwelling elderly (N = 4,528). Research participants were divided into four groups with regard to self-rated health. Statistically controlling for the effects of depression, age, and education, participants with poor self-reported health harl lower scores on the Mini-Mental Status Examination than those who believed themselves to be in good health. Our results show that cognitive performance in older adults is influenced by health factors.</p

Planting a misdiagnosis of Alzheimer's disease in a person's mind

Objective: There is an extensive corpus of knowledge about how misinformation may distort autobiographical memories. A diagnostic error can be conceptualised as a form of misinformation. Methods: The authors discuss the case of a 58-year-old woman who was given a misdiagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Results: The patient was deeply convinced that the diagnosis was correct, even when she was confronted with contradictory evidence. Conclusion: A diagnosis is not a neutral piece of information. It profoundly affects the lives of patients. The consequences of a misdiagnosis may be similar to persistent false memories