Information Processing Approach It is hypothesised that processing involves three stages: Encoding (collecting and representing information); Storage (holding information); Retrieval (obtaining the information when needed); and a Control Process that determines how and when information will flow through the system

The central executive is the most important component of the model, although little is known about how it functions It is responsible for monitoring and coordinating the operation of the slave systems (ie, visuospatial sketchpad and phonological loop) and relates them to long term memory (LTM)

The central executive is the component of the working memory model that monitors incoming data, makes decisions and allocates the three slave systems to tasks

The model is very influential and psychologists use the WMM in place of ‘STM’ in the MSM It is better than the MSM because it looks more at processes It gives more than 1 way of transferring information (not just rehearsal) A lot of research backs the model up in place of what the MSM can’t explai

LTM stores information for long periods of time The capacity of LTM is virtually limitless The duration of LTM is relatively permanent Long-term memory (LTM) encoding, storage, and retrieval are all improved through the use of such hierarchies

Memory loss can begin from age 45, scientists say As all those of middle age who have ever fumbled for a name to fit a face will believe, the brain begins to lose sharpness of memory and powers of reasoning and understanding not from 60 as previously thought, but from as early as 45, scientists sa

It’s important to note that Alzheimer’s disease can be definitively diagnosed only after death, by linking clinical measures with an examination of brain tissue in an autopsy Occasionally, biomarkers—measures of what is happening inside the living body—are used to diagnose Alzheimer’s.

Damage occurring in the brain of someone with Alzheimer’s disease begins to show itself in very early clinical signs and symptoms For most people with Alzheimer’s—those who have the late-onset variety—symptoms first appear in their mid-60s Signs of early-onset Alzheimer’s begin between a person’s 30s and mid-60s.

No blood test, brain scan, or physical exam can definitively diagnose Alzheimer’s disease And because so many conditions can produce symptoms resembling those of early Alzheimer’s, reaching the correct diagnosis is complicated

Dementia brain scans Like memory tests, on their own brain scans cannot diagnose dementia, but are used as part of the wider assessment Not everyone will need a brain scan, particularly if the tests and assessments show that dementia is a likely diagnosis

Early onset of the disease can begin when people are in their 30s, 40s, or 50s With treatment and early diagnosis, you can slow the progression of the disease and maintain mental function The treatments may include medications, cognitive training, and therapy.

Spine – MRI is best at imaging the spinal cord and nerves Brain – CT is used when speed is important, as in trauma and stroke MRI is best when the images need to be very detailed, looking for cancer, causes of dementia or neurological diseases, or looking at places where bone might interfer