Alexander, M., Blackburn, D. orcid.org/0000-0001-8886-1283 and Reuber, M. orcid.org/0000-0002-4104-6705 (2019) Patients' accounts of memory lapses in interactions between neurologists and patients with functional memory disorders. Sociology of Health and Illness, 41 (2). pp. 249-265. ISSN 0141-9889
Abstract
One of the most commonly made diagnoses in secondary care memory services is functional memory disorder (FMD). FMD is non-progressive and characterised by persistent worries about memory failures without objective evidence of cognitive impairment. This study explores how patients with FMD present their memory concerns. Utilizing video recordings of consultations between patients and neurologists in a memory clinic, we show that FMD patients account for their memory deficits as significant disruptions to their daily lives. Resonating with research which identified a dissonance between self-reports of memory functioning by FMD patients and the outcome of neuropsychological assessments, we demonstrate that, in giving a detailed account of their perceived memory problems, patients provide objective conversational evidence of their cognitive and memory capacity, implicitly undermining the claim of an objective problem. Using conversation analysis, we examine three of the more prominent interactional practices FMD patients draw on when attempting to communicate memory deficits to the doctor - they are (i) contrasts with a standard of 'normal'; (ii) third-party observations; and (iii) direct reported speech. These interactional features are recurrent devices for displaying memory concerns as legitimate problems, embedded within patients' accounts of their day-to-day lives.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2018 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness. This is an author produced version of a paper subsequently published in Sociology of Health and Illness. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Conversation analysis (CA); Dementia/Alzheimer's; Mental health and illness |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Sheffield Teaching Hospitals |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 28 Sep 2018 10:32 |
Last Modified: | 25 Apr 2024 14:22 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Wiley |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1111/1467-9566.12819 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:135843 |