Amnesia, otherwise called an amnestic syndrome, is a type of memory loss, where the person loses memories of facts, experiences, and information. It is characterized by difficulty in learning new information and past events, called anterograde and retrograde amnesia. Amnesia results from any disease or injury affecting the brain.
All the answers published in this website are written by Verified medical doctors, therapists and health experts. The Content has been moderated by iCliniq medical review team before publication. Post your medical clarifications on iCliniq by choosing the right specialty and get them answered. Your medical queries will be answered 24/7 by top doctors from iCliniq.
How can I remember or recall things that I forgot?
Query: Hello doctor, I have a question regarding memory. What if my ability to remember things is temporarily stunted? For example, if I eat too much junk food or go through depression, which I have heard inhibits memory recall, when I am back to normal, will the things I tried to remember be just as clea... Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. Your question is very non-specific. Eating junk food does not cause memory problems. And in depression, it is not a true memory loss, but a state of false forgetfulness called pseudodementia. There is a term called transient global amnesia, which can occur due to many ca... Read Full »
What is the role of DWI in a traumatic brain injury?
Query: Hi doctor, I want to know about the vertebral artery dissection. I had a TBI (with neck trauma too), no loss of consciousness, no amnesia. The CT was negative. The MR showed T2 hyperintensity in the right lateral medulla (no DWI was performed) After few days, the MR showed the same even with con... Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. Thanks for writing to us. There are many variable patterns of the vertebral artery visualization, and the commonest is the vertebral artery of one side is nondominant and shows thin flow or near-complete luminal occlusion. You might be having a non-dominant right verte... Read Full »
Is it fine to undergo four consecutive CT scans in eight days?
Query: Hi doctor,The patient met with a car accident and the head bumped on the cemented floor. There is behavior change as if the patient is in amnesia. The doctor repeatedly took four consecutive CT scans as they said that they cannot see the problem with the patient's brain. But, the patient is no more ... Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. It is possible to have multiple scans in short time when it is absolutely necessary. Sometimes, a single scan is not enough and dynamic nature of damage to the brain may get detected in subsequent CT scan. Having said this I am slightly perplexed why MRI was not ordered w... Read Full »
Can head injury affect a person's intelligence?
Query: Hi doctor, I had a bike accident. Is it possible to lose one's intelligence or IQ from a head injury? Read Full »
Answer: Hi, Welcome to icliniq.com. I am sorry to hear this. The short answer to your question is that yes. Memory, recall, attention span can all be negatively affected after a head injury. This is dependent on multiple factors like age, associated illness, CT and MRI findings, surgery, post injury rehabi... Read Full »
I am unable to recall and memories until the age of 13. Is this dissociative amnesia?
Query: Hello doctor, I believe I have dissociative amnesia. I am unable to recall memories until the age of 13. Every now and then I remember a spotty memory but it is never concrete and when I do remember something, in my mind it seems like a dream instead of a clear memory. What could I do with this? Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. Memory is the most surprising thing. You remember some events so vividly while others wash out as if they never happened. The retention of things depends on our concentration and attention at that particular time, and the wish to remember it. We all forget most of ou... Read Full »
Can drug abuse cause memory blackouts?
Query: Hello doctor, I have a 23 year old son. He admits to current marijuana use once or twice a week. He admits to a variety of drugs including cocaine, meth, heroin, LSD in the past year. His ex-mother in law says he currently uses cocaine and meth. He denies current drug use beyond pot. He says he has ... Read Full »
Answer: Hello, Welcome to icliniq.com. I understand your concern. What we are dealing with here is a transient global amnesia (TGA). During these episodes, there is a temporary memory loss of recent events with preserved social and cognitive skills. The person typically does not remember the events of the l... Read Full »