Wang Tao, Department of Neurosurgery, Ninth Medical Center, PLA General Hospital
In the medical field, accurate diagnosis and treatment are the key to saving patients' lives and improving their quality of life. As a common cerebrovascular disease, the diagnosis and treatment of cerebral infarction is complex and challenging. The psychological phenomenon of "witness memory effect" seems to be unrelated to medical practice, but in fact, it can bring us a lot of enlightenment in the diagnosis and treatment of cerebral infarction.
1. Overview of cerebral infarction
Cerebral infarction, also known as ischemic stroke, is the avascular necrosis or softening of localized brain tissue caused by blood supply disorders to the brain, ischemia and hypoxia. The main causes include atherosclerosis, cardioembolism, and arteriolar occlusion. Patients often present with sudden symptoms such as limb weakness, numbness, slurred speech, dizziness, and headache. If left untreated, it can lead to severe disability and even death.
Diagnosis of cerebral infarction is based on clinical findings, imaging studies (e.g., CT of the head, magnetic resonance imaging), and laboratory tests. Treatment methods include thrombolytic therapy, antiplatelet aggregation therapy, improvement of cerebral circulation, neuroprotection, etc. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are essential to improve patient outcomes.
2. The nature of the "witness memory effect".
The "witness memory effect" refers to the fact that many witnesses give inaccurate testimony that is personal and has personal opinions and awareness. There are several reasons for this phenomenon:
First of all, human memory is not completely objective and accurate. Memory is a complex mental process that is influenced by a variety of factors. When people experience an event, they tend to selectively pay attention to certain information and ignore others. At the same time, memories can gradually blur and distort over time.
Second, an individual's perspective and consciousness can affect the content of the memory. When people recall events, they will unconsciously integrate their own values, emotions, experiences and other factors, so that the memories have personal tendencies.
Finally, external factors can also have an impact on the memory of witnesses. For example, the way the witness is questioned, environmental pressures, etc., can cause a witness to have a skewed memory.
3. The embodiment of the "witness memory effect" in the diagnosis and treatment of cerebral infarction
1. Description of the patient's symptoms
People with cerebral infarction are often affected by the "witness memory effect" when describing their symptoms to doctors. Patients may exaggerate or minimize their symptoms due to factors such as pain, fear, or mistake the symptoms of other diseases for symptoms of cerebral infarction. For example, some patients may describe common symptoms such as dizziness and headaches as very severe, when in fact these symptoms may be caused by other causes. In addition, patients' memory may also be skewed, causing them to be unable to accurately recall important information such as when the onset of the disease and how the symptoms developed.
2. Statement of medical history of the family
Family members may also be affected by the "witness memory effect" when providing a patient's medical history to a doctor. Family members may exaggerate the patient's condition because of their concern and anxiety, or mistake some irrelevant information for a history related to cerebral infarction. For example, some family members may describe a minor headache from many years ago as a precursor to a cerebral infarction, when in fact there may not be a direct relationship between the two. In addition, family members' memories may also be skewed, resulting in their inability to accurately recall important information such as the patient's past medical history and medications.
3. The doctor's diagnostic process
Doctors may also be affected by the "witness memory effect" when diagnosing cerebral infarction. Doctors may make incorrect judgments about a patient's symptoms and medical history due to their own experience, biases, and other factors. For example, some doctors may ignore important symptoms because of factors such as the patient's age, gender, etc., or mistake some common symptoms for manifestations of other diseases. In addition, when doctors ask patients and family members, they may also have a biased memory due to improper questioning methods, which will affect the accuracy of the diagnosis.
4. How to avoid the influence of "witness memory effect" in the diagnosis and treatment of cerebral infarction
1. Raise awareness among patients and families
Patients and their families should be aware of the common symptoms, risk factors, and treatment methods of cerebral infarction, so that they can describe their symptoms and medical history to the doctor in a timely and accurate manner at the onset of the disease. At the same time, patients and their families should also maintain a calm and objective attitude, and do not exaggerate or minimize their own condition, so as not to affect the doctor's diagnosis.
2. Standardize the doctor's diagnostic process
The doctor should strictly follow the diagnostic process for diagnosis, including asking the patient about symptoms, medical history, family history and other information in detail, and conducting a comprehensive physical examination and necessary imaging tests and laboratory tests. At the same time, doctors should also pay attention to the way of questioning and avoid guiding questions, so as not to affect the memory of patients and family members. In addition, doctors should constantly learn and update their knowledge, improve their diagnosis, and avoid diagnostic errors due to inexperience or bias.
3. Establish a diagnostic model of multidisciplinary collaboration
The diagnosis of cerebral infarction often requires the collaboration of multiple disciplines, including neurology, neurosurgery, radiology, and laboratory medicine. The establishment of a multidisciplinary collaborative diagnosis model can give full play to the advantages of each discipline and improve the accuracy of diagnosis. For example, a neurologist can make an initial diagnosis based on a patient's symptoms and medical history, a radiologist can provide objective evidence with imaging tests, and an examiner can rule out other conditions with laboratory tests.
V. Conclusions
"Witness memory effect" is a problem that cannot be ignored in the diagnosis and treatment of cerebral infarction. Patients, families, and physicians can all be affected by this effect, which can lead to a biased diagnosis. Therefore, we should improve the cognitive level of patients and their families, standardize the diagnosis process of doctors, and establish a multidisciplinary collaborative diagnosis model to avoid the influence of "witness memory effect" in the diagnosis and treatment of cerebral infarction, and improve the accuracy of diagnosis and the effect of treatment. Only in this way can we better serve patients with cerebral infarction and improve their quality of life.
In the process of diagnosis and treatment of cerebral infarction, we cannot only rely on the opinions of patients and their families, nor can we completely rely on the experience and judgment of doctors. We should maintain an objective and rational attitude just as we treat the testimony of witnesses in court, and conduct comprehensive analysis and judgment of various information. Only in this way can we make an accurate diagnosis and develop a reasonable treatment plan to ensure the health and safety of patients.
At the same time, we should also recognize that medicine is an ever-evolving science, and our understanding of cerebral infarction is also deepening. With the advancement of science and technology and the deepening of research, we believe that more accurate and efficient diagnostic methods and treatments will emerge in the future. In this process, we should continue to learn and explore to better cope with the serious disease challenge of cerebral infarction.