Medical term:
amnesia
Amnesia
Definition
Amnesia refers to the loss of memory. Memory loss may result from two-sided (bilateral) damage to parts of the brain vital for memory storage, processing, or recall (the limbic system, including the hippocampus in the medial temporal lobe).
Description
Amnesia can be a symptom of several neurodegenerative diseases; however, people whose primary symptom is memory loss (amnesiacs), typically remain lucid and retain their sense of self. They may even be aware that they suffer from a memory disorder.
People who experience amnesia have been instrumental in helping brain researchers determine how the brain processes memory. Until the early 1970s, researchers viewed memory as a single entity. Memory of new experiences, motor skills, past events, and previous conditioning were grouped together in one system that relied on a specific area of the brain.
If all memory were stored in the same way, it would be reasonable to deduce that damage to the specific brain area would cause complete memory loss. However, studies of amnesiacs counter that theory. Such research demonstrates that the brain has multiple systems for processing, storing, and drawing on memory.
Causes and symptoms
Amnesia has several root causes. Most are traceable to brain injury related to physical trauma, disease, infection, drug and alcohol abuse, or reduced blood flow to the brain (vascular insufficiency). In Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, for example, damage to the memory centers of the brain results from the use of alcohol or malnutrition. Infections that damage brain tissue, including encephalitis and herpes, can also cause amnesia. If the amnesia is thought to be of psychological origin, it is termed psychogenic.
Memory loss may result from bilateral damage to the limbic system of the brain responsible for memory storage, processing, and recall.
(Illustration by Electronic Illustrators Group).
There are at least three general types of amnesia:
- Anterograde. This form of amnesia follows brain trauma and is characterized by the inability to remember new information. Recent experiences and short-term memory disappear, but victims can recall events prior to the trauma with clarity.
- Retrograde. In some ways, this form of amnesia is the opposite of anterograde amnesia: the victim can recall events that occurred after a trauma, but cannot remember previously familiar information or the events preceding the trauma.
- Transient global amnesia. This type of amnesia has no consistently identifiable cause, but researchers have suggested that migraines or transient ischemic attacks may be the trigger. (A transient ischemic attack, sometimes called "a small stroke," occurs when a blockage in an artery temporarily blocks off blood supply to part of the brain.) A victim experiences sudden confusion and forgetfulness. Attacks can be as brief as 30-60 minutes or can last up to 24 hours. In severe attacks, a person is completely disoriented and may experience retrograde amnesia that extends back several years. While very frightening for the patient, transient global amnesia generally has an excellent prognosis for recovery.
Diagnosis
In diagnosing amnesia and its cause, doctors look at several factors. During a physical examination, the doctor inquires about recent traumas or illnesses, drug and medication history, and checks the patient's general health. Psychological exams may be ordered to determine the extent of amnesia and the memory system affected. The doctor may also order imaging tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to reveal whether the brain has been damaged, and blood work to exclude treatable metabolic causes or chemical imbalances.
Treatment
Treatment depends on the root cause of amnesia and is handled on an individual basis. Regardless of cause, cognitive rehabilitation may be helpful in learning strategies to cope with memory impairment.
Prognosis
Some types of amnesia, such as transient global amnesia, are completely resolved and there is no permanent loss of memory. Others, such as Korsakoff syndrome, associated with prolonged alcohol abuse or amnesias caused by severe brain injury, may be permanent. Depending on the degree of amnesia and its cause, victims may be able to lead relatively normal lives. Amnesiacs can learn through therapy to rely on other memory systems to compensate for what is lost.
Prevention
Amnesia is only preventable in so far as brain injury can be prevented or minimized. Common sense approaches include wearing a helmet when bicycling or participating in potentially dangerous sports, using automobile seat belts, and avoiding excessive alcohol or drug use. Brain infections should be treated swiftly and aggressively to minimize the damage due to swelling. Victims of strokes, brain aneurysms, and transient ischemic attacks should seek immediate medical treatment.
Resources
Periodicals
Squire, Larry R., and Stuart M. Zola. "Amnesia, Memory and Brain Systems." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series B 352 (1997): 1663.
Key terms
Classical conditioning — The memory system that links perceptual information to the proper motor response. For example, Ivan Pavlov conditioned a dog to salivate when a bell was rung.
Emotional conditioning — The memory system that links perceptual information to an emotional response. For example, spotting a friend in a crowd causes a person to feel happy.
Explicit memory — Conscious recall of facts and events that is classified into episodic memory (involves time and place) and semantic memory (does not involve time and place). For example, an amnesiac may remember he has a wife (semantic memory), but cannot recall his last conversation with her (episodic memory).
Limbic system — The brain structures involved in memory.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) — MRI uses a large circular magnet and radio waves to generate signals from atoms in the body. These signals are used to construct images of internal structures.
Motor skill learning — This memory system is associated with physical movement and activity. For example, learning to swim is initially difficult, but once an efficient stroke is learned, it requires little conscious effort.
Neurodegenerative disease — A disease in which the nervous system progressively and irreversibly deteriorates.
Priming memory — The memory system that joins perceptual and conceptual representations.
Transient ischemic attack — A sudden and brief blockage of blood flow in the brain.
Working memory — The memory system that relates to the task at hand and coordinates recall of memories necessary to complete it.
Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
amnesia
[am-ne´zhah]pathologic impairment of memory. Amnesia is usually the result of physical damage to areas of the brain from injury, disease, or alcoholism. Psychologic factors may also cause amnesia; a shocking or unacceptable situation may be too painful to remember, and the situation is then retained only in the subconscious mind. The technical term for this is repression. (See also dissociative disorders.)
Rarely is the memory completely obliterated. When amnesia results from a single physical or psychologic incident, such as a concussion suffered in an accident or a severe emotional shock, the victim may forget only the incident itself; the victim may be unable to recall events occurring before or after the incident or the order of events may be confused, with recent events imputed to the past and past events to recent times. In another form, only certain isolated events are lost to memory.
Amnesia victims usually have a good chance of recovery if there is no irreparable brain damage. The recovery is often gradual, the memory slowly reclaiming isolated events while others are still missing. Psychotherapy may be necessary when the amnesia is due to a psychologic reaction.
Rarely is the memory completely obliterated. When amnesia results from a single physical or psychologic incident, such as a concussion suffered in an accident or a severe emotional shock, the victim may forget only the incident itself; the victim may be unable to recall events occurring before or after the incident or the order of events may be confused, with recent events imputed to the past and past events to recent times. In another form, only certain isolated events are lost to memory.
Amnesia victims usually have a good chance of recovery if there is no irreparable brain damage. The recovery is often gradual, the memory slowly reclaiming isolated events while others are still missing. Psychotherapy may be necessary when the amnesia is due to a psychologic reaction.
anterograde amnesia impairment of memory for events occurring after the onset of amnesia. Unlike retrograde amnesia, it is the inability to form new memories.
circumscribed amnesia loss of memory for all events during a discrete, specific period of time. Called also localized amnesia.
continuous amnesia loss of memory for all events after a certain time, continuing up to and including the present.
dissociative amnesia the most common of the dissociative disorders; it is usually a response to some stress, such as a threat of injury, an unacceptable impulse, or an intolerable situation. The patient suddenly cannot recall important personal information and may wander about without purpose and in a confused state.
Persons with a dissociative disorder may at times forget what they are doing or where they are; when they regain self-awareness, they cannot recall what has taken place. A less severe form than amnesia is sleepwalking. Dissociative disorders are very likely an attempt by the mind to shield itself from the anxiety caused by an unresolved conflict. The patient, upon encountering a situation that may be symbolic of this inner conflict, goes into a form of trance to avoid experiencing the conflict.
Persons with a dissociative disorder may at times forget what they are doing or where they are; when they regain self-awareness, they cannot recall what has taken place. A less severe form than amnesia is sleepwalking. Dissociative disorders are very likely an attempt by the mind to shield itself from the anxiety caused by an unresolved conflict. The patient, upon encountering a situation that may be symbolic of this inner conflict, goes into a form of trance to avoid experiencing the conflict.
generalized amnesia loss of memory encompassing the individual's entire life.
lacunar amnesia partial loss of memory; amnesia for certain isolated experiences.
localized amnesia circumscribed amnesia.
lacunar amnesia.
post-traumatic amnesia amnesia resulting from concussion or other head trauma. Called also traumatic amnesia. See also amnestic syndrome.
psychogenic amnesia dissociative amnesia.
retrograde amnesia inability to recall events that occurred prior to the episode precipitating the disorder. Unlike anterograde amnesia, it is the loss of memories of past events.
selective amnesia loss of memory for a group of related events but not for other events occurring during the same period of time.
transient global amnesia a temporary episode of short-term memory loss without other neurological impairment.
traumatic amnesia post-traumatic amnesia.
Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.
am·ne·si·a
(am-nē'zē-ă),A disturbance in the memory of stored information of very variable durations, minutes to months, in contrast to short-term memory, manifest by total or partial inability, to recall past experiences.
[G. amnēsia, forgetfulness]
Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
amnesia
(ăm-nē′zhə)n.
Partial or total loss of memory, usually resulting from shock, psychological disturbance, brain injury, or illness.
am·ne′si·ac′ (-nē′zē-ăk′, -zhē-ăk′), am·ne′sic (-zĭk, -sĭk) n. & adj.
am·nes′tic (-nĕs′tĭk) adj.
The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
amnesia
A pathological impairment or lack of memory, which is often temporally linked to a traumatic event.Amnesia types
Anterograde amnesia
No memory for that occurring after a triggering event.
Hollywood amnesia
A dramatised version of memory loss for any event occurring after a triggering event, which occurs at dramatically convenient times (the return of which is also discretionary).
Retrograde amnesia
No memory for that occurring before a triggering event; amnesia may be organic, emotional or mixed origin, and/or time-limited.
Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
amnesia
Neurology A pathologic impairment or lack of memory, which is often temporally linked to a traumatic event Types Anterograde–no memory for that occurring after the event; retrograde–no memory for that occurring before the event; amnesia may be organic, emotional, mixed origin, or time-limited. See Anterograde amnesia, Hysterical amnesia, Retrograde amnesia, Selective amnesia, Sensorimotor amnesia, Source amnesia.McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
am·ne·si·a
(am-nē'zē-ă)A disturbance in the memory of information stored in long-term memory, in contrast to short-term memory, manifested by total or partial inability to recall past experiences.
[G. amnēsia, forgetfulness]
Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012
amnesia
Loss of memory as a result of physical or mental disease or injury, especially head injury. Amnesia for events occurring before the head injury is called retrograde amnesia. Anterograde amnesia is loss of memory for events occurring after the injury.Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005
am·ne·si·a
(am-nē'zē-ă)A disturbance in the memory of stored information of very variable durations, minutes to months.
[G. amnēsia, forgetfulness]
Medical Dictionary for the Dental Professions © Farlex 2012
Patient discussion about amnesia
Q. bipolar amnesia? I am 39 yrs old and suffer from Bipolar Disorder. Last March I suffered from a severe depressive episode and was hospitalized. Since I was 19yrs old, I have been hospitalized 3 times. Each time I suffered from a weird kind of amnesia. I don't recall long periods of time while I was falling into this depressive state. It is pretty unnerving. Anyone ever experience this type of amnesia and how do you cope? It is scarey to not remember some pretty significant times-- my husband will bring up things that I have no recollection of. Any help or support will be greatly appreciated.
Q. How do I break it to my mother that I have infantile amnesia
A. i'de let the doctor that diagnosed me with infantile amnesia to tell it to my parents, he can explains to your mother exactly what it means,treatments all sorts..
More discussions about amnesiaThis content is provided by iMedix and is subject to iMedix Terms. The Questions and Answers are not endorsed or recommended and are made available by patients, not doctors.
am·ne·si·ac
(am-nē'sē-ak),One suffering from amnesia.
Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
amnesiac
A person with amnesia, see there.Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
am·ne·si·ac
(am-nē'sē-ak)One suffering from amnesia.
Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012
am·ne·si·ac
(am-nē'sē-ak)One suffering from amnesia.
Medical Dictionary for the Dental Professions © Farlex 2012
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