Forgetfulness is one of the most frequent reasons why a person goes to a specialist. Currently, many of the activities we carry out require a great commitment on the part of our memory, however, sometimes difficulties may arise that concern the way in which this function of the brain is performed.
The alteration that appears in memory is known as amnesia. However, we must keep in mind that amnesia can manifest itself in different ways. Knowing relevant and accurate data about this topic can guide you on how to overcome obstacles in everyday life with amnesia. Therefore, in this Psychology-Online article, we will show you what the Types of amnesia and their characteristics.
retrograde amnesia
Retrograde amnesia refers to inability to recover information from the past. The causes of this type of amnesia have a clear impact on the development of the pathology. In some cases, the origin of retrograde amnesia may be having suffered an accident that affects certain areas of the brain linked to the storage of information.
In this sense, people with a diagnosis of retrograde amnesia do not have memories of the past until the moment when the clinical picture is consolidated, that is, they only retain later information to the onset of the syndrome.
An example of retrograde amnesia could be that of an 18-year-old person who has suffered a stroke at age 18. If this causes retrograde amnesia, it means that he or she will hardly remember information prior to age 18, although he or she will remember data after the event.
Anterograde amnesia
Unlike retrograde amnesia, this type of amnesia is characterized by difficulty storing information from the present, beyond having memories of the past. In other words, it is affected, so new information cannot be retained and is lost in a short time.
The possible causes that trigger this type of retrograde amnesia can be diverse, but the most common are brain injuries suffered in an early life stage such as childhood or adolescence. This condition does not allow the person to acquire new information and, therefore, makes it difficult to adapt to the environment. As a result, people with anterograde amnesia often have trouble forming new social bonds.
Amnesia caused by drugs
In this type of amnesia alters neuronal functioning linked to information storage due to drug use. Unlike anterograde and retrograde amnesia, it is the consumption of toxic substances or some medication that causes this type of side effects in the body.
Amnesia caused by drugs manifests itself in those people who consume drugs with very intense effects, for example, in cases of patients who must undergo surgery. In this article you will find more information about the.
lacunar amnesia
Lacunar amnesia refers to inability to remember certain specific moments that take place in a specific period of time. However, the peculiarity of this type of amnesia is that the person can remember information before and after that moment.
For example, a person with lacunar amnesia cannot remember certain facts about what happened to them during a robbery, due to the level of stress they faced. However, the information prior to the event is intact, as are the moments after.
infantile amnesia
Another type of amnesia that refers to the difficulty remembering events that occurred during childhood. Generally speaking, this occurs when the person is exposed to situations that involve a high level of stress. Childhood amnesia can occur in people who have suffered verbal and/or physical violence, among other unpleasant situations.
Dissociative amnesia
Dissociative amnesia means that the person forgets information associated with a traumatic situation. As we see, it is a involuntary defense mechanism that makes it possible to forget distressing momentspanic, terror and/or sadness.
In this sense, people who were part of military armies for a war could suffer this type of amnesia, given the painful situations they went through.
global amnesia
Finally, within the types of amnesia, the most serious is global amnesia, that is, ptotal memory leak. Furthermore, this type of amnesia is usually the consequence of some event that alters the functioning of the brain.
As we see, global amnesia seriously affects the development of daily activities, given that the person is not able to remember information from the past or retain new information. In these cases, it is necessary for patients to go to health professionals to help them improve their clinical condition.
For example, someone who suffers from global amnesia may have difficulty remembering who the people around them are, as well as what types of activities they carried out and how they performed on a daily basis.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- De Noreña Martínez, D., De La Vega Rodríguez, I. (2007). Memory alterations in frontal brain damage. Psychological Action Magazine, 4 (3), 73-85.
- Sierra Montoya, MP, Ascensio Lancheros, JL, Ochoa Gómez, JF, Carvajal-Castrillón, J. (2014). Isolated retrograde amnesia: clinical description and neuroimaging of a case. Colombian Neurological Act Magazine, 30 (3), 215-221.