Memory Loss (Amnesia): Symptoms, Complaints, Signs

The following symptoms and complaints may indicate amnesia:

  • Antegrade amnesiamemory lapse that affects a specific time after the triggering event.
  • Dissociative/psychogenic amnesia – form of amnesia that is limited to specific events only.
  • Congrade amnesiamemory gap for a specific event.
  • Lacunar amnesia – lack of memory for a specific event.
  • Retrograde amnesia – memory lapse affecting a specific time before a triggering event.
  • Transient global amnesia (TGA; anamnestic episode) – transient anterograde (new information can be retained for only 30-180 seconds) and retrograde (access to old memory acquired before TGA is impaired) amnesia, along with disorientation or confusion
    • Duration: 24 hours max, 6 to 8 hours on average.
    • Occurs clustered in the morning prelude go to sleep
    • Cause so far not clarified
  • Transitory amnesia – temporary memory impairment.

Associated symptoms during transient global amnesia (TGA).

  • Patient appears troubled and repeatedly asks the same questions about situational circumstances.

Note: In TGA, neither focal neurologic symptoms nor additional cognitive deficits are present.

Warning signs (red flags)

  • Anamnestic information:
    • Evidence of rapid-onset dementia.
      • Notice. Dementia patients are brought to the doctor by relatives.
    • Indications of depression
      • Notice. Depressed patients seek the doctor due tomemory problems.
    • Severe headaches
    • Convulsions (convulsions) or epileptic seizures.
    • Trauma (here: traumatic brain injury).