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What is amnesia?
Normal memory function involves many parts of the brain, and any disease or injury that affects the brain can interfere with the intricacies of memory. Amnesia can result from damage to brain structures that form the limbic system, which controls your emotions and memories. These structures include the thalamus, which lies deep within the center of your brain, and the hippocampal formations, which are located within the temporal lobes of your brain.
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amnesia information from trusted sources:
Amnesia
Amnesia refers to the loss of memories, such as facts, information and experiences. Though having no sense of who you are is a common plot device in movies and television, real-life amnesia generally doesn't cause a loss of self-identity. Read more on
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Amnesia
Your mind works a lot like a computer. Your brain puts information it judges to be important into "files." When you remember something, you pull up a file. Memory doesn't always work perfectly. As people grow older, it may take longer to retrieve those files. Some adults joke about having a "senior moment." It's normal to forget things once in awhile. We've all forgotten a name, where we put our keys, or if we locked the front door. But forgetting how to use the telephone or find your way home may be signs of a more serious problem. These include Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia, stroke, depression, head injuries, thyroid problems, or reactions to certain medicines. If you're worried about your forgetfulness, see your doctor. Read more on
www.nlm.nih.gov
Amnesia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Amnesia (from Greek Ἀμνησία) is a condition in which memory is disturbed or lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. ... Read more on
en.wikipedia.org
Amnesia
Amnesia is a profound memory loss which is usually caused either by physical injury to the brain or by the ingestion of a toxic substance which affects the ... Read more on
www.athealth.com
Amnesia Information on Healthline
Amnesia refers to the loss of memory. Memory loss may result from two-sided (bilateral) damage to parts of Memory loss may result from bilateral damage to ... Read more on
www.healthline.com
Amnesia definition - Medical Dictionary definitions of popular ...
Mar 14, 2011 ... Amnesia: Lack of memory. Amnesia after trauma can be antegrade or retrograde, depending upon whether the lack of memory relates to events ... Read more on
www.medterms.com
Transient Global Amnesia: eMedicine Neurology
Jun 16, 2010 ... Overview: Transient global amnesia (TGA) has been a well-described phenomenon for more than 40 years. Clinically, it manifests with a ... Read more on
emedicine.medscape.com
Dissociative Amnesia
Dissociative amnesia, formerly called psychogenic amnesia, is one of a group of conditions called dissociative disorders. Dissociative disorders are mental ... Read more on
my.clevelandclinic.org
Mental Health: Dissociative Amnesia
Learn about dissociative amnesia, a dissociative disorder that can be caused by extreme stress and result in suppressed memories of a traumatic event. Read more on
www.webmd.com
Contents
Complications
Amnestic syndrome varies in severity and scope, but even mild amnesia takes a toll on daily activities and quality of life. The syndrome can cause problems at work, at school and in social settings. It may not be possible to recover lost memories. Some people with severe memory problems need to live in a supervised situation or extended care facility.
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Coping and support
Living with amnesia can be very frustrating for the person with memory loss, and for their family and friends too. More-severe forms of amnesia may require direct assistance for the affected individual from family, friends or professional caregivers.
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Preparing for your appointment
You're likely to start by seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner. However, you may then be referred to a doctor who specializes in disorders of the brain and nervous system (neurologist).
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Prevention
Because damage to the brain can be a root cause of amnesia, it's important to take steps to minimize your chance of a brain injury. For example: Avoid excessive alcohol use; Wear a helmet when bicycling and a seat belt when driving; Treat any infection quickly so that it doesn't have a chance to spread to the brain; Seek immediate medical treatment if you have any symptoms that suggest a stroke or brain aneurysm, such as a severe headache or one-sided numbness or paralysis
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Risk factors
The chance of developing amnesia might increase if you've experienced: Brain surgery, head injury or trauma; Stroke; Alcohol abuse; Seizures
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Symptoms
The two main features of amnesia are: Impaired ability to learn new information following the onset of amnesia (anterograde amnesia); Impaired ability to recall past events and previously familiar information (retrograde amnesia)
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Tests and diagnosis
To diagnose amnesia, a doctor will do a comprehensive evaluation to rule out other possible causes of memory loss, such as Alzheimer's disease, dementia, depression or brain tumor.
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Treatments and drugs
Treatment for amnesia focuses on techniques and strategies to help make up for the memory problem.
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