What is Amnesia?

 Amnesia is partial or complete loss of memory. It occurs following concussions, in dementia, hysteria and head injury. In amnesia, recent memory and the ability to form new memory are profoundly impaired by injuries to the limbic memory route. The limbic system is a part of the brain involved in the regulation and control of psycho affective behaviour. The two types of amnesia, the retrograde and post-tarumatic, appear to result from an interruption of limbic function besides other reasons. Amnesia is of various types.

1) Aterograde Amnesia- It is loss of memory for those experiences and events following the physical or psychological trauma.

2) Catathymic Amnesia- It is memory loss limited and confined to a certain recollection or experience.

3) Circumscribed Amnesia- It is memory loss in which the beginning or the termination of the memory loss is fairly easily defined.

4) Infantile Amnesia- It is loss of memory for the years from birth to about five years of age.

5) Retrograde Amnesia- It is loss of memory for those events and experiences preceding the cause of the amnesia.