Amnesia: What Is It, Types, Symptoms, Causes, And More

We all have watched movies like Hangover, Finding Dory, Memento, or The Dark City. There’s one thing common about these movies, memory loss! In scientific language, memory loss is referred to as amnesia. Amnesia means memory loss which can include experiences, information, and facts.

Fictionally, amnesia is described as identity loss; however, that’s not the truth. In real cases, people struggling with amnesia know who they are; however, they find difficulty in processing new information, forming new memories, or recognizing memories. In this blog, we will understand everything we need to know about amnesia. So, let’s get started!

Related: The Psychology Of Memory: Formation, Duration, Types, And More

What is Amnesia?

Amnesia means memory loss wherein a person might lose memories related to important facts, experiences, or information. Amnesia is also known as “amnestic syndrome.” People with amnesia usually know who they are; however, they generally face difficulty in learning or remembering new information.

Research shows that there’s no specific treatment option however, with the help of root cause, we can work on resolving symptoms. In such cases, people often recall experiences related to the past or childhood, however, they might know or remember recent events. Amnesia does not affect general knowledge, attention span, intelligence, or awareness. Additionally, it does not affect an individual’s personal identity, personality, or judgments.

People struggling with amnesia can understand spoken and written words and can still learn new things, and in some cases, they also may understand they are amnesic. Some people co-relate amnesia with dementia; however, they are two different mental health conditions. Amnesia includes memory loss meanwhile; dementia includes memory loss along with other problems which lead to deprived quality of life.

Types of Amnesia

There are two types of amnesia, anterograde amnesia and retrograde amnesia, one is caused by the inability to form new memories and one is caused by the inability to recall past memories. Other types of amnesia are:

• Dissociative amnesia: Dissociative amnesia is related to mental health issues such as traumatic events, psychological distress, abuse, and others.
• Drug-induced amnesia: This type of amnesia occurs due to the side-effect of certain drugs such as sedatives, benzodiazepines, general anesthesia, and date rape drugs.
• Infantile amnesia: This type of amnesia can be caused during infantile years. Almost every one of us has experienced this type of amnesia.
• Post-traumatic amnesia: This type of amnesia is caused by an injury resulting in multiple types of amnesia.
• Transient global amnesia: This type of amnesia is a short-lived condition covering both types of amnesia (retrograde and anterograde).

Symptoms of Amnesia

The inability to learn new information and the inability to remember familiar information or past events are the two important symptoms of amnesia. Most people experience amnesia as a short-term memory loss problem which prevents them from retaining new information. In such cases, recent memories are lost. Below listed are some of the other important symptoms of amnesia:

• Confusion
• Constantly forgets about important events
• Creation of false memories or confabulation
• Difficulty with visual, language, or spatial skills
• Disorientation
• Experiences mild cognitive impairment
• Inability to remember important events
• Inability to remember important locations
• Inability to recall faces and names
• Other cognitive problems

Causes of Amnesia

Our brain processes memory functioning through different parts, any disease or injury can affect our memory directly. Amnesia usually results from damaged brain structuring (injured brain parts that control memories and emotions. The hippocampus and thalamus are usually damaged. Below listed are some of the other causes of amnesia:

• Abused by violent crime
• Alcoholism
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Brain inflammation
• Brain tumor (especially in areas controlling memory)
• Certain medications acting as sedatives
• Emotional shock or trauma
• Epilepsy
• Frontotemporal dementia
• Head injuries causing concussions
• Infections such as encephalitis
• Lack of oxygen in the brain or cerebral hypoxia (result of respiratory distress, heart attack, poisoning)
• Mild head injuries
• Other degenerative brain diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) or Parkinson’s disease
• Seizures
• Stroke
• Toxins and poisons such as heavy metals or carbon monoxide
• Transient global amnesia

Other possible causes of Amnesia:

• Dissociative disorders
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

Risk Factors of Amnesia

Research shows that the chances of developing amnesia get higher if someone experiences:

• Alcohol abuse
• Brain surgery, trauma, or head injury
• Emotional stress
• Migraine attacks
• Seizures
• Stroke

Complications of Amnesia

The symptoms of amnesia generally vary in its severity. For example, mild amnesia can also cause problems in daily activities resulting in a deprived overall quality of life. additionally, in some cases, it might not be possible to recover lost memories, people with severe amnesia need proper supervision on a regular basis by their loved ones or professionals present in a care facility.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Amnesia

The diagnosis process of amnesia is done with the help of imaging scans and other tests. If you think you or your loved one might be struggling with amnesia, connect with a healthcare provider to seek proper diagnosis and treatment. Your healthcare provider is likely to conduct a few tests and diagnoses to undermine the root causes and symptoms.

Additionally, they might ask you about your medical history, symptoms, and your life in detail in order to comprehend the factors resulting from the symptoms. The imaging tests are generally decided on the basis of the presence of symptoms, severity of the symptoms, and other important factors. The tests recommended by a healthcare professional help in recognizing the presence of a condition and rule out the possibility of other conditions related to the same causes.

Below listed are some possible tests to diagnose amnesia:

• Blood tests
• Computed Tomography (CT) scan
• Electroencephalogram (EEG)
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan
• Neurological examination
• Neuropsychological examination
• Physical examination
• Spinal tap

As far as the treatment process of amnesia is concerned, there’s no direct treatment or medication to cure it. However, some healthcare providers work on specific symptoms or causes to reverse them.

People with amnesia are not able to understand what’s happening to them, additionally, they are not able to make choices about medical care, therefore, always take your loved one along during medical procedures. Based on this statement, the treatment, medications, and therapy options depend on the level of severity and intensity of the amnesic episodes. Generally, occupational therapy and cognitive rehabilitation are used to help people with amnesia. These therapies can help people learn skills and techniques to compensate for memory loss.

Additionally, chemically induced amnesia can be resolved with the help of detoxification. Amnesia caused by mild traumas may resolve within hours and amnesia caused by severe head injury may resolve within 1 week (in some severe cases, it may last for months). Amnesia caused by dementia is incurable, however, medications such as donepezil, galantamine, or rivastigmine may help reduce the symptoms.

Tips to Manage or Prevent Amnesia

• Avoid consuming alcohol on a regular basis
• Wear a helmet to avoid head injuries
• Treat infection as soon as possible with the help of a physical health provider
• Get immediate treatment in cases of stroke, accidents, and aneurysm
• Manage your stress levels regularly with the help of mindfulness-based techniques
• Maintain social relationships to keep your brain active
• Avoid tobacco usage to prevent yourself from mental and physical health-related issues
• Eat a mindful and balanced diet to prevent micro and macro deficiencies

Takeaway: Supporting a Loved One with Amnesia

Amnesic people need regular support, here’s how you can support a loved one with amnesia:

• Listen to their issues and think about how you can support them mindfully.
• Encourage your loved one to attend therapy regularly and consume prescribed medications on time.
• Offer empathy and compassion regularly to make them feel loved and supported.
• Look for more resources on the internet.
• Take care of yourself, stay calm, and avoid getting into arguments.

I hope this blog helps you understand what amnesia is, its types, symptoms, causes, and more. For more such content, connect with us through all social media platforms.

Thanks for reading!