Amnesia overview
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Amnesia Microchapters |
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Diagnosis |
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Treatment |
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Case Studies |
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Amnesia overview On the Web |
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American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Amnesia overview |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] ; Aditya Govindavarjhulla, M.B.B.S. [2]
Overview
Amnesia (from Greek Template:Polytonic) is a condition in which memory is disturbed. The causes of amnesia are organic or functional. In simple terms it is the loss of memory. Organic causes include damage to the brain, through trauma or disease, or 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[1]. 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 it is normal when it comes with aging.