AMNESIA: SYMPTOMS, CAUSES, DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT & PREVENTION
Amnesia
Amnesia is a kind of memory loss. Some people have difficulty forming new memories during amnesia. Others can’t remember past memories or experiences. Mild memory loss may be a normal part of aging. Significant memory loss, or the incapability to form new memories, may point out the presence of anamnestic disorder.
Symptoms
The primary symptom can be memory loss or incapacity to form new memories. If you have amnesia, you will have trouble remembering facts, events, places, or specific details. The details can lay out from what you ate this morning to your friend’s name. You may still retain your motor skills as well as fluency in any languages you speak.
Types
There are multiple types of amnesia which are described below:
? Retrograde Amnesia: In this amnesia, people lose existing, previously made memories. This type of amnesia tends to invade recently formed memories first. Older memories, such as memories from childhood, are usually affected more gradually.
? Anterograde Amnesia: One can’t form new memories in this amnesia. The effect can be temporary. For instance, one can experience it during a blackout caused by too much alcohol.
? Transient Global Amnesia: Scientists think that TGA takes place as the result of a seizure-like activity or a brief blockage of the blood vessels supplying our brain. It occurs more often in middle-aged and older adults. People may experience memory loss in the hours before the attack, and will probably have no lasting memory of the experience.
? Infantile amnesia: Most of us can’t recall the first three to five years of life. This kind of common phenomenon is called infantile or childhood amnesia.
Causes of Amnesia
· Dementia: Dementia causes widespread brain deterioration. People with dementia generally lose more recent memories first and keep older memories longer.
· Anoxia: An inanition of oxygen levels can also invade our entire brain and lead to memory loss. This condition is called anoxia. If the anoxia isn’t acute enough to cause brain damage, the memory loss can be temporary.
· Damage to the Hippocampus: Hippocampus is a part of the brain and limbic system responsible for memory. When your hippocampus is impaired, we will have difficulty forming new memories. If the hippocampus is damaged in both halves of our brain, we may develop complete anterograde amnesia.
· Head Injuries: Traumatic head injuries, as well as stroke, tumors, and infections can also cause permanent memory problems. Concussions usually disrupt memories of the hours, days, or weeks before and after we were injured.
· Alcohol: Short-term alcohol use can cause blackout which is a temporary form of anterograde amnesia. Long-term alcoholism can cause Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. If someone goes through this condition, he will face difficulty forming new memories but may not be aware of them.
· Trauma or Stress: Trauma or Stress can cause dissociative amnesia. With this condition, our brain rejects thoughts, feelings, or information that we are too overwhelmed to handle. A specific type of dissociative amnesia, called dissociative fugue, can tend to unexpected traveling or wandering.
· Electroconvulsive Therapy: If someone takes Electroconvulsive Therapy for depression or other conditions, he might experience retrograde amnesia of the weeks or months before the treatment. He could also experience anterograde amnesia, generally resolving within 2 weeks of the treatment.
Diagnosis
Amnesia can be diagnosed by a doctor or a neurologist. They will start by asking questions about memory loss, as well as other symptoms one might have. They may request a family member or a friend to help with the evaluation, since the patient may not be able to remember the answers to their questions. Doctors may also use cognitive tests. They may also order other diagnostic tests. They can use an MRI or CT scan to check for signs of brain damage. They can use blood tests to check for nutritional deficiencies, infections, or other issues. They can also perform tests to check for seizures.
Treatment
To treat amnesia, the doctors will focus on the underlying cause of your condition.
- Chemically induced amnesia can be resolved through detoxification. Once the drug is out of our system, our memory problems will probably subside.
- Amnesia from mild head trauma generally resolves without treatment over time.
- Amnesia from a severe head injury may not regress. However, improvements generally occur within six to nine months.
- Amnesia from dementia is generally incurable. However, doctors may prescribe medications to support learning and memory.
- In case of persistent memory loss, doctors may recommend occupational therapy. This type of therapy can help to learn new information and memory skills for daily living.
Prevention
The following healthy habits can lower our risks of memory loss:
- Avoid heavy use of alcohol or drugs.
- Use protective headgear when you’re playing sports that put you at high risk of concussion.
- Try to be mentally stable. For example, take classes, explore new places, read new books, and play mentally challenging games.
- Stay physically active.
- Have a healthy diet.
- Keep hydrated.
?Md. Shawkat Alam Faisal
Campus Ambassador,