Memory loss resident survival guide: Difference between revisions
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== Causes== | == Causes== | ||
=== Life Threatening Causes=== | === Life Threatening Causes=== | ||
* | * Life-threatening causes include conditions that may result in death or permanent disability within 24 hours if left untreated. | ||
* | * Most acute causes of amnesia are considered life-threatening, among them, are the following: | ||
* | **Electrolyte imbalances | ||
**Head trauma | |||
**Hypoglycemia | |||
**Infections | |||
=== Common Causes=== | === Common Causes=== | ||
* | *Alzheimer | ||
* | *Vascular dementia | ||
* | *Frontotemporal dementia | ||
* | *Vitamin deficiency | ||
* | *Depression | ||
==Diagnosis== | ==Diagnosis== | ||
Shown below is an algorithm summarizing the diagnosis of amnesia according the the American Academy of Neurology guidelines. | Shown below is an algorithm summarizing the diagnosis of amnesia according to the the American Academy of Neurology guidelines. | ||
{{familytree/start |summary=PE diagnosis Algorithm.}} | {{familytree/start |summary=PE diagnosis Algorithm.}} | ||
{{familytree | | | | | | | | A01 |A01= Patient with amnesia}} {{familytree | | | | |,|-|-|-|^|-|-|-|-|.| | | }} | {{familytree | | | | | | | | A01 |A01= Patient with amnesia}} {{familytree | | | | |,|-|-|-|^|-|-|-|-|.| | | }} | ||
{{familytree | | | B01 | | | | | | | | B02 | | |B01= Acute onset|B02= Chronic onset}} | {{familytree | | | B01 | | | | | | | | B02 | | |B01= Acute onset|B02= Chronic onset}} | ||
{{familytree | | | |!| | | | | | | | | |!| | | | }} | |||
{{familytree | | | |!| | | | | | | | | B01 |-| B02 |-| B03 |-| B04| | |B01= Measure vitamin B12, and folic acid, and TSH |B02= Abnormal?|B03= Yes|B04= Vitamin deficiency, hypothyroidism}} | |||
{{familytree | | | |!| | | | | | | | | |!| | | | }} | {{familytree | | | |!| | | | | | | | | |!| | | | }} | ||
{{familytree | | | B01 | | | | | | | | B02 |-| B03 |-| B04 | | |B01= Fluctuating course, inattention, disorganized thinking, | {{familytree | | | B01 | | | | | | | | B02 |-| B03 |-| B04 | | |B01= Fluctuating course, inattention, disorganized thinking, | ||
| Line 41: | Line 45: | ||
{{familytree | | |B01| | B02 | | | | |!| | | | B01= No|B02= Concussion, post-concussive amnesia}} | {{familytree | | |B01| | B02 | | | | |!| | | | B01= No|B02= Concussion, post-concussive amnesia}} | ||
{{familytree | | | |!| | | | | | | | | |!| | | | }} | {{familytree | | | |!| | | | | | | | | |!| | | | }} | ||
{{familytree | | |B01| | | | | | | | |!| | | | B01= Measure CBC | {{familytree | | |B01| | | | | | | | |!| | | | B01= Measure CBC, creatinine, electrolites, and | ||
glucose | glucose to reveal cause|B02= Concussion, post-concussive amnesia}} | ||
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | }} | {{familytree | | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | }} | ||
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | }} | {{familytree | | | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | }} | ||
Revision as of 10:27, 18 August 2020
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Moises Romo, M.D.
Overview
Amnesia is a condition in which memory is disturbed or lost. The causes of amnesia can be organic or functional. Organic causes include damage to the brain through trauma or disease or the use of certain (generally sedative) drugs. Functional causes are psychological factors, such as defense mechanisms. Hysterical post-traumatic amnesia is an example of this. Amnesia may also be spontaneous, in the case of transient global amnesia. This global type of amnesia is more common in middle-aged to elderly people, particularly males, and usually lasts less than 24 hours. Memory loss can be partial or total and is normally expected as we get older.
Causes
Life Threatening Causes
- Life-threatening causes include conditions that may result in death or permanent disability within 24 hours if left untreated.
- Most acute causes of amnesia are considered life-threatening, among them, are the following:
- Electrolyte imbalances
- Head trauma
- Hypoglycemia
- Infections
Common Causes
- Alzheimer
- Vascular dementia
- Frontotemporal dementia
- Vitamin deficiency
- Depression
Diagnosis
Shown below is an algorithm summarizing the diagnosis of amnesia according to the the American Academy of Neurology guidelines.
| Patient with amnesia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Acute onset | Chronic onset | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Measure vitamin B12, and folic acid, and TSH | Abnormal? | Yes | Vitamin deficiency, hypothyroidism | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fluctuating course, inattention, disorganized thinking, or altered level of consciousness? | Positive for SIGE CAPS questionary? | Yes | Depression | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yes | No | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Delirium | Dementia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Take history and perform physical examination | Take history and perform physical examination | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History of head trauma? | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No | Concussion, post-concussive amnesia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Measure CBC, creatinine, electrolites, and glucose to reveal cause | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Initial short term memory loss | Vascular risk factors, imaging evidence of cerebrovascular involvement | Young age, behavioral symptoms or language impairment | Bradikinesia or features of parkinsonism,
fluctuating cognition, visual hallucinations | Dementia occuring 1 year after onset of Parkinson disease | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alzheimer disease | Vascular dementia | Frontotemporal dementia | Dementia with Lewy bodies | Parkinson disease dementia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Do's
- The content in this section is in bullet points.
Don'ts
- The content in this section is in bullet points.