

This exam will include tests of logic, reasoning, judgment, and short- and long-term memory. The physical exam will include neurological function tests, including reflexes, balance, strength, vision, and hearing. He or she will look for signs of neurological or psychological triggers, as well as a possible family history of related conditions. The doctor will ask questions about the nature of the memory loss, including when it began, whether it has changed over time, and whether other cognitive symptoms have occurred simultaneously. The diagnostic process for amnesia includes an effort to identify or rule out neurological problems that might be causing memory loss. Depending on the cause, these changes can be a part of amnestic syndrome, but in cases of dementia, they become profound over time. Marked changes in behavior or personality.These cognition problems usually don’t occur in cases of amnesia. Difficulties with problem-solving, language, speech, and reasoning.Seizures can also be an early sign of a problem that can lead to memory loss.Īmnesia differs from normal age-related forgetfulness and also from Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of dementia.Other symptoms include paralysis or weakness on one side of the body.

A sudden, severe headache may be a sign of a stroke or brain aneurysm.An infection anywhere in your body can spread to your brain and cause, among other things, memory loss.However, the underlying cause may be a disease, injury, or event that can lead to long-term brain damage or even death, so early signs of these problems shouldn’t be ignored. Many of the causes of amnesia result in sudden memory loss, and there are no recognizable signs that precede the memory problems. In extreme cases, the patient may wander to a new location and start a new life. These cases involve generalized amnesia, and the patient leaves his or her previous routine after losing memories of his or her identity. In this case, patients are unable to form new memories. Here, the patient loses a specific type of information, such as memories of a particular person. In this case, patients forget only some parts of a specific period or event. Often, the area of amnesia coincides with the experience that triggered the memory loss. In these cases, patients are unable to recall a specific period or a specific event. In these very rare cases, patients forget everything about themselves, including their identities and life histories. “Memories” of events that didn’t happen or confusion about when actual events occurred.ĭissociative amnesia caused by traumatic events may take several different forms, including:.

