Post-traumatic amnesia PTA is amnesia that comes after a brain injury. In some cases, it is considered a normal part of the recovery process following a stroke , head trauma, or coma. PTA may also cause memory loss from before the brain injury occurred. PTA is a state of disorientation to time, place, and person. Patients with PTA may have difficulty understanding what happened to them, who they are, where they are, or the date.
Memory recovery can take weeks or months. In some cases, it may be permanent. The process of recovery for patients with PTA can be confusing and frustrating. They may have difficulty following along in a conversation, remembering what happened a few minutes ago, or planning for later in the day. If you have a friend or loved one with PTA, be patient with them as they work toward recovery. Infantile amnesia is an adult's inability to remember their first few years of life as a baby and toddler.
Some researchers believe this occurs due to the underdevelopment of the infant's brain. But even though adults cannot remember their infant lives, studies show that abusive events and neglect that occurred in childhood can still impact mental health later in life.
Transient global amnesia TGA is sudden and temporary memory loss. TGA comes on suddenly and usually lasts between one to 10 hours.
People can remember who they are and who their family members are during a TGA event, but they often are unaware of where they are and the time. TGA usually resolves on its own, and researchers are unclear of the cause. But some have suggested that other psychological disorders, venous flow abnormalities problems with blood flow , or epilepsy abnormal brain activity that can cause seizures may be to blame.
Drug-induced amnesia is a common medical practice during surgery or other health procedures that would otherwise cause pain or discomfort. For instance, a person who has surgery to remove their appendix would receive amnesia-inducing medication, or general anesthetic, that would put the patient in a sleeplike state. Selective amnesia is when a person can recall some events of a traumatic event or other situation, but not others.
There are many causes of amnesia, but most fall into two categories: neurological and functional. Neurological amnesia is caused by various brain diseases, infections, or other medical conditions.
Functional amnesia is usually related to psychiatric issues or emotional trauma. Possible causes of neurological amnesia include:.
The most common cause of functional amnesia is emotional trauma. Functional amnesia usually also causes retrograde amnesia and doesn't affect the formation of future memories.
However, in severe cases, patients with functional trauma can forget who they are. The type of amnesia a person has will determine the kind of care they will receive. Many patients with amnesia start by talking to their regular healthcare provider.
Patients may also see a psychotherapist or a neurologist a doctor who specializes in the brain and nervous system. In many cases, amnesia is not preventable. However, research shows that there are several ways you can keep your mind sharp as you age that could prevent age-related memory loss, such as:. Brain damage can cause amnesia. Therefore, protecting your brain can help to prevent amnesia associated with brain trauma. Amnesia caused by a neurological disease or infection requires treatment for the underlying medical cause of amnesia.
Therapy for neurological amnesia can take time, and in some cases, memories may never return. If you or a loved one has amnesia due to a neurological condition, talk to your healthcare provider about what types of therapy can help you manage your amnesia.
Since most functional amnesia results from emotional trauma, healthcare providers may recommend finding a way to deal with those traumatic events safely, which can include therapy.
The best therapy approach will depend on the patient and what is causing the amnesia. Some treatments available include:.
Amnesia can be a frightening and confusing experience that can lead to anger, anxiety, and depression. Isolating oneself can make this worse. A strong support system of family, friends, and healthcare professionals can help make the experience less stressful.
Amnesia is a memory disorder that can affect the ability to remember old memories retrograde amnesia and the ability to form new memories anterograde amnesia. Several factors can contribute to this memory loss, such as physical injury, infection, or emotional trauma. The reality is that amnesia is not fully understood. There is no timeline, and each patient's circumstances are unique.
There are no guarantees if or when memory will return, and in the meantime, amnesia can be a real threat to a person's life and loved ones. Amnesia refers to the loss of memories, such as facts, information and experiences.
Though forgetting your identity is a common plot device in movies and television, that's not generally the case in real-life amnesia. Instead, people with amnesia — also called amnestic syndrome — usually know who they are.
But, they may have trouble learning new information and forming new memories. Amnesia can be caused by damage to areas of the brain that are vital for memory processing. Unlike a temporary episode of memory loss transient global amnesia , amnesia can be permanent.
There's no specific treatment for amnesia, but techniques for enhancing memory and psychological support can help people with amnesia and their families cope. Most people with amnesia have problems with short-term memory — they can't retain new information.
Recent memories are most likely to be lost, while more remote or deeply ingrained memories may be spared. Someone may recall experiences from childhood or know the names of past presidents, but not be able to name the current president, know what month it is or remember what was for breakfast. Isolated memory loss doesn't affect a person's intelligence, general knowledge, awareness, attention span, judgment, personality or identity.
People with amnesia usually can understand written and spoken words and can learn skills such as bike riding or piano playing. They may understand they have a memory disorder. Amnesia isn't the same as dementia. Dementia often includes memory loss, but it also involves other significant cognitive problems that lead to a decline in daily functioning. A pattern of forgetfulness is also a common symptom of mild cognitive impairment MCI , but the memory and other cognitive problems in MCI aren't as severe as those experienced in dementia.
Anyone who experiences unexplained memory loss, head injury, confusion or disorientation requires immediate medical attention. A person with amnesia may not be able to identify his or her location or have the presence of mind to seek medical care.
If someone you know has symptoms of amnesia, help the person get medical attention. Normal memory function involves many parts of the brain. Any disease or injury that affects the brain can interfere with memory. Amnesia can result from damage to brain structures that form the limbic system, which controls your emotions and memories. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances.
The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website. Skip to main content. Brain and nerves. Home Brain and nerves. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. Symptoms of amnesia Causes of amnesia Memory is mysterious Different types of memory The severity varies Diagnosis of amnesia Treatment for amnesia Where to get help.
Symptoms of amnesia The symptoms of amnesia depend on the cause, but generally include: Memory loss Confusion Inability to recognise familiar faces or places Once the person recovers, they typically have no memory of their amnesia episode. Causes of amnesia Memory loss can be caused by a wide range of conditions, including: Head injury Severe illness High fever Seizures Emotional shock or hysteria Alcohol-related brain damage Certain drugs, such as barbiturates or heroin General anaesthetics Electroconvulsive therapy Stroke Transient ischaemic attack a 'mini stroke' Alzheimer's disease Brain surgery.
Memory is mysterious The way the brain codes and stores information remains a mystery. Current and often conflicting theories include: Widespread distribution of memories across the outermost layer of the brain cortex Widespread distribution of memories, with certain structures such as the hippocampus playing important roles Localised memory areas in certain structures of the brain only Memory storage in brain molecules Memory storage in clusters of nerve cells neurones.
Different types of memory It seems that the brain has a number of different memory forms, including: Short term - new information is stored for a brief time. If the information isn't further processed, it will soon be forgotten. Long term - information from the short term memory is shifted to the long term memory. Declarative - conscious memories of information and events. Non-declarative - once learned, habits such as driving a car are ingrained and automatic.
The severity varies The severity of amnesia depends on the cause. Diagnosis of amnesia Diagnosing the cause of amnesia involves a range of tests, including: Medical history General examination Tests for short and long term memory recall Other tests related to thought processing Head x-ray Blood tests Computed tomography CT scan Cerebral angiography scans taken after a special dye is injected.
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