Talk:Confabulation

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My understanding of confabulation from my medical dictionary and from my experience working in psychiatry is that there is no confusion between imagination and memory. The individual manufactures (confabulates) answers to questions to cover up the embarassing fact that they can't remember. They are aware that they're making it up, they're just hoping that you don't notice. Matt 17:01, 8 Mar 2005 (UTC)

That's absolutely not the case at all in neurology/medicine. Confabulation is a recognized term that is only used to describe the creation of false details which the speaker doesn't realize are false. It's a common symptom of damage to the mammilary bodies in the brain. --70.72.19.133 04:32, 23 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] No awareness that memory is imaginary

I listed to a BBC Radio4 programme about this this morning 16 August 2006 from 9.30 am to 9.45am, and it said that the individual was unaware that the memories were false - they believed them to be true. Perhaps this awareness or not varies with the psychiatric condition - but I dont know, I'm just guessing.

I believe the common meaning of confabulation has changed recently. In older dictionaries, or dictionaries which are just modern printings of old content, the word confabulate meant making up a story - the sort of thing a criminal would do. So this adds to the confusion.

The medical meaning of confabulation is different from the general meaning of confabulation. From a medical point of view confabulation has never implied any form of deviousness or lying; it's always referred to those who are unaware that they are making things up. --70.72.19.133 04:29, 23 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Alcohol induced confabulation

I've heard alcoholism eventually leads to so essential memory gaps that confabulation ultimately becomes the result; and many strange stories in pubs.. I've got no references, though. Anyone? - Sigg3.net