What is Amnesia?

The loss of memories such as facts, information, and experiences, is referred to as amnesia. Some persons with amnesia have trouble remembering new things; others are unable to recollect information or previous experiences. Amnesiacs usually retain their sense of self-identity as well as their motor skills. Mild memory loss is a common side effect of growing older. An amnestic disorder can be identified by significant memory loss or the inability to form new memories. Damage to parts of the brain that are important for memory processing might cause amnesia. Amnesia can be permanent, unlike a transient incidence of memory loss (transient global amnesia). Amnesia has no specific treatment, however, memory enhancement treatments and psychological support can help people with amnesia and their families cope.

Symptoms of Amnesia

Memory loss or the inability to develop new memories is the most common sign of amnesia. Sufferers will have trouble recalling facts, events, places, or particular information if they have amnesia. Details can range from what you ate for breakfast to the current thing you just heard. Your motor abilities, such as your ability to walk, as well as your proficiency in any languages you speak, will be retained. Other symptoms include the following, depending on the cause of the amnesia:

• False memories (confabulation) made up of genuine memories that have been misplaced in time.
• Perplexity or disorientation

Types of Amnesia

Retrograde Amnesia

You lose existing, previously formed memories when you have retrograde amnesia. This sort of amnesia affects memories that were developed recently first. Memories from childhood, for instance, are normally altered more slowly. Dementia is one cause of progressive retrograde amnesia.

Anterograde Amnesia

You can’t make new memories if you have anterograde amnesia. This impact may only last a short time. It can happen during a blackout caused by too much alcohol, for example. It can also be long-term. If the hippocampus, a part of your brain, is injured, you may experience it. The hippocampus is involved in the formation of memories.

Transient Global Amnesia

TGA (transient global amnesia) is a syndrome that is poorly understood. If you acquire it, you will suffer periods of disorientation or agitation that come and go over several hours. You may suffer memory loss in the hours leading up to the attack, and you will likely have no lasting remembrance of it.

Infantile or Childhood Amnesia

The majority of people have no recollection of their first three to five years of existence. This condition is known as infantile or childhood amnesia.

Causes of Amnesia

Many areas of the brain are involved in normal memory function. Memory loss can be caused by any disease or injury to the brain. Damage to the brain structures that make up the limbic system, which governs your emotions and memories can cause amnesia. The thalamus, which is located deep inside the core of your brain, and the hippocampal formations, which are located within the temporal lobes of your brain, are examples of these structures. Possible causes of amnesia include the following:

Head injuries

Damage to the brain can be caused by traumatic head injuries, strokes, tumors, and infections. Memory impairments may be permanent as a result of this damage. Concussions frequently cause memory loss in the hours, days, or weeks preceding and following the injury.

Alcohol Usage

Short-term alcohol consumption can result in a blackout. This is a type of anterograde amnesia that only lasts a short time. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is caused by long-term drinking. You will have difficulties developing new memories if you develop this condition, but you may not be aware of it.

Anoxia

Lack of oxygen can damage the entire brain, resulting in memory loss. Anoxia is the medical term for this situation. Memory loss can be brief if the anoxia isn’t severe enough to cause brain damage.

Dementia

The age of a memory is thought to influence its location in the brain. You must have broad brain degeneration to lose old memories. Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia can cause this. People with dementia tend to lose current memories first, whereas older memories are retained longer.

Stress or Trauma

Dissociative amnesia can also be caused by severe trauma or stress. Your mind rejects thoughts, sensations, or facts that you’re too overloaded to manage when you have this disease. Dissociative fugue is a type of dissociative amnesia that can cause unexpected traveling or roaming. It can also cause amnesia around the conditions of your journey, as well as forgetting other aspects of your life.

Hippocampus Damage

The hippocampus is a memory-related component of the brain and limbic system. Its functions include memory formation, memory organization, and memory retrieval. Its cells are among the most energy-hungry and vulnerable in your brain. Anoxia and other dangers, like poisons can easily disturb them. You will have trouble creating new memories if your hippocampus is damaged. You can get total anterograde amnesia if both parts of your hippocampus are destroyed.

Complications of Amnesia

Although the intensity and extent of amnesia vary, even mild amnesia has a negative impact on everyday activities and quality of life. Workplace, education, and social situations can all be affected by the syndrome. It’s possible that memories can’t be recovered. Some patients with significant memory loss must live in a supervised environment or in an extended-care facility.

How to Diagnose Amnesia

Your doctor or a neurologist can diagnose amnesia. They will begin by inquiring about your memory loss as well as any other symptoms you may be experiencing. Because you may not recall the answers to their inquiries, they may ask a family member or caregiver to assist them with their assessment.
Cognitive tests are also used by your doctor to assess your memory. Other diagnostic tests are conducted as well. They might use an MRI or CT scan to look for symptoms of brain injury, for example. Blood tests may be used to check for nutritional deficiencies, infections, and other problems. They might also run tests to see if you’re having seizures.

How to Prevent Amnesia

• Blackouts, head injuries, dementia, stroke, and other potential causes of memory loss can all be reduced by practicing the following healthy habits:
• Don’t overindulge in drinks or drugs.
• When participating in sports that put you in danger of concussion, use protective headgear.
• Maintain a healthy mental state throughout your life. Take lessons, travel to new countries, read new books, and play mentally difficult games.
• Maintain a healthy level of physical activity throughout your life. Consume a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat proteins to keep your heart healthy.
• Keep yourself hydrated.

How to Treat Amnesia

Your doctor will focus on the underlying cause of your amnesia during treatment.

• Detoxification can be used to treat chemically induced amnesia, such as that caused by alcohol. Your memory issues will most likely go away after the medicine is no longer in your system.
• Mild brain trauma causes amnesia, which normally goes away on its own. It’s possible that amnesia caused by a severe head injury will never go away. Improvements, on the other hand, typically take six to nine months to occur.
• Dementia-related amnesia is almost always incurable. Your doctor, on the other hand, may prescribe medicine to help you learn and remember things better.
• If you’re always having trouble remembering things, your doctor may suggest occupational therapy. This type of therapy can aid in the acquisition of new information and the development of memory abilities that are useful in everyday life. Your therapist can also show you how to employ memory aids and organizing techniques to make information easier to recall.

Now that you Know…

Amnesia could be permanent, and as a result, anterograde amnesia symptoms can deteriorate over time. Amnesia can also be transitory in some cases. Temporary memory loss, also known as transitory global amnesia, may improve after an injury or sickness. If you have any unexplained memory loss or a recent head injury, you should immediately seek medical care. Your doctor can detect any abnormalities in the brain and, if necessary, make treatment recommendations.