Memory loss or amnesia can have a number of causes. Medline Plus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, says that memory loss can be caused by a mild to severe head injury or another traumatic event. Medline Plus also says that the form of memory loss is determined in part by the area of brain that is affected.
Forms of Memory Loss
Trauma can cause several types of amnesia. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke says it can be anterograde amnesia, failure to remember events that take place after the trauma; retrograde amnesia, the loss of memory for events that occurred prior to the trauma; or global amnesia, which is both anterograde and retrograde. Medline Plus says other forms of memory loss can involve speech and motor skills.
Head Trauma
Traumatic brain injury generally results from a “sudden, violent blow to the head," according to the Mayo Clinic. An automobile accident, a fall and a blow to the head are all examples of events that can cause traumatic brain injury. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke says that the most common form of cognitive impairment caused by brain injury is memory loss. The amnesia generally encompasses time immediately before and after the brain injury, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Emotional Trauma
Emotionally traumatic events can cause temporary or long-term amnesia. The “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” published by the American Psychiatric Association, calls this disorder dissociative amnesia. It is characterized especially by the failure to have memories connected with the trauma. Examples are battlefield conflict, a natural disaster and sexual abuse.
Prognosis
The outcome of memory loss caused by trauma varies, depending on the type of trauma. The Mayo Clinic says dissociative amnesia generally lasts a short time. Traumatic brain injury can cause long-term problems, including Alzheimer's disease and dementia pugilistica, which career boxes sometimes have, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Treatment
Treatment for memory loss differs, depending on the type of trauma and the form of memory affected. Medline Plus says that cognitive therapy “may be helpful for mild to moderate memory loss." Psychotherapy can be beneficial for those suffering memory loss caused by an emotionally traumatic event. There is no way to cure Alzheimer's disease, but researchers are developing medications to alleviate some of its symptoms.
References
- “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision”; American Psychiatric Association; 2000
- MayoClinic.com: Amnesia: Causes
- MayoClinic.com: Traumatic Brain Injury
- Medline Plus: Memory Loss
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Traumatic Brain Injury: Hope Through Research
