Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAmnesia CategoriesTypesCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPrognosis
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Amnesia Categories
Types
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prognosis
Types of retrograde amnesia have different causes, including traumatic experience andtraumatic brain injury(TBI). These types present with different symptoms and require varied treatments. In some cases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, there is no cure. For others, the outlook with therapy is more optimistic.
Rafa Elias / Getty Images
Retrograde vs. Anteretrograde Amnesia
Retrograde amnesia is one of the two main categories of amnesia. The other type of amnesia is anterograde amnesia. Their differences are:
Memory Disorders: The Diseases That Cause Forgetfulness
Types of Retrograde Amnesia
The main symptom of retrograde amnesia is memory loss of past events. The symptoms depend primarily on the type of amnesia and can vary significantly from a few days to weeks or even from years to decades.
The following are types of retrograde amnesia:
Depending on the person’s circumstances, subtypes of amnesia can be categorized as retrograde amnesia or manifest as both retrograde and anterograde amnesia.
For example, TGA is also a type of anterograde amnesia because it prevents a person from forming new memories during the event. However, it can also have a short-term retrograde effect lasting less than 24 hours.
Some leading causes of memory loss include injuries, illnesses, and stressful events.
Other causes of retrograde amnesia may include:
A healthcare provider may order a neuropsychological evaluation, a more formal type of memory testing.Additional tests to identify a cause may include a physical examination and:
There are no known effective treatments or medications for retrograde amnesia. The priority usually involves treating the cause of amnesia to help people regain their memories.
For Alzheimer’s disease or other degenerative illnesses, there is no available cure. However, medications like Aricept (donepezil) are available totreat Alzheimer’s disease, which may also slow the progression of memory loss. In some cases, memory can even be restored though only to a point.
Some people who have retrograde amnesia find that family support or participating in support groups can help with the frustration of memory loss.
Coping With Memory LossMany people with retrograde amnesia struggle to understand what has happened to them.There are benefits to working with specialists or therapists, trying different treatments, and having a solid support system.Talk with your healthcare providers about coping techniques that may help.
Coping With Memory Loss
Many people with retrograde amnesia struggle to understand what has happened to them.There are benefits to working with specialists or therapists, trying different treatments, and having a solid support system.Talk with your healthcare providers about coping techniques that may help.
Many people with retrograde amnesia struggle to understand what has happened to them.
There are benefits to working with specialists or therapists, trying different treatments, and having a solid support system.
Talk with your healthcare providers about coping techniques that may help.
The prognosis depends significantly on the source of the amnesia. In some cases, memory loss is brief, lasting only days or weeks.
However, memory loss can last for years or even be permanent for others. With a condition like Alzheimer’s, memory loss may even get worse over time.
Summary
Retrograde amnesia is the inability to recall or remember past experiences. Several factors can contribute to this, including emotional or physical trauma, infections, or advancing dementia and other medical conditions.
Memory loss can be temporary, long-lasting, or even permanent. Your healthcare provider will run several noninvasive diagnostic tests to diagnose retrograde amnesia.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Allen RJ.Classic and recent advances in understanding amnesia.F1000Res. 2018;7:331. doi:10.12688/f1000research.13737.1Stendardi D, De Luca F, Gambino S, Ciaramelli E.Retrograde amnesia abolishes the self-reference effect in anterograde memory.Exp Brain Res. 2023 Aug;241(8):2057-2067. doi: 10.1007/s00221-023-06661-2.Taïb S, Yrondi A, Lemesle B, Péran P, Pariente J.What are the neural correlates of dissociative amnesia? A systematic review of the functional neuroimaging literature.Front Psychiatry. 2023;14:1092826. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1092826National Health Service.Understanding and interacting with people in post-traumatic amnesia: information for relatives, carers and friends.Alberini CM, Travaglia A.Infantile amnesia: a critical period of learning to learn and remember.J Neurosci. 2017;37(24):5783-5795. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0324-17.2017Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center.Transient global amnesia.Ortega-de San Luis C, Ryan TJ.United states of amnesia: rescuing memory loss from diverse conditions.Dis Model Mech. 2018;11(5):dmm035055. doi:10.1242/dmm.035055Casaletto KB, Heaton RK.Neuropsychological assessment: past and future.J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2017;23(9-10):778-790. doi:10.1017/S1355617717001060Fijtman A, Bücker J, Strange BA, Martins DS, Passos IC, Hasse-Sousa M,et al.Emotional memory in bipolar disorder: Impact of multiple episodes and childhood trauma.J Affect Disord. 2020 Jan 1;260:206-213. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.09.003.Harvard Health Publishing.Drugs for Alzheimer’s disease.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Allen RJ.Classic and recent advances in understanding amnesia.F1000Res. 2018;7:331. doi:10.12688/f1000research.13737.1Stendardi D, De Luca F, Gambino S, Ciaramelli E.Retrograde amnesia abolishes the self-reference effect in anterograde memory.Exp Brain Res. 2023 Aug;241(8):2057-2067. doi: 10.1007/s00221-023-06661-2.Taïb S, Yrondi A, Lemesle B, Péran P, Pariente J.What are the neural correlates of dissociative amnesia? A systematic review of the functional neuroimaging literature.Front Psychiatry. 2023;14:1092826. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1092826National Health Service.Understanding and interacting with people in post-traumatic amnesia: information for relatives, carers and friends.Alberini CM, Travaglia A.Infantile amnesia: a critical period of learning to learn and remember.J Neurosci. 2017;37(24):5783-5795. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0324-17.2017Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center.Transient global amnesia.Ortega-de San Luis C, Ryan TJ.United states of amnesia: rescuing memory loss from diverse conditions.Dis Model Mech. 2018;11(5):dmm035055. doi:10.1242/dmm.035055Casaletto KB, Heaton RK.Neuropsychological assessment: past and future.J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2017;23(9-10):778-790. doi:10.1017/S1355617717001060Fijtman A, Bücker J, Strange BA, Martins DS, Passos IC, Hasse-Sousa M,et al.Emotional memory in bipolar disorder: Impact of multiple episodes and childhood trauma.J Affect Disord. 2020 Jan 1;260:206-213. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.09.003.Harvard Health Publishing.Drugs for Alzheimer’s disease.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Allen RJ.Classic and recent advances in understanding amnesia.F1000Res. 2018;7:331. doi:10.12688/f1000research.13737.1Stendardi D, De Luca F, Gambino S, Ciaramelli E.Retrograde amnesia abolishes the self-reference effect in anterograde memory.Exp Brain Res. 2023 Aug;241(8):2057-2067. doi: 10.1007/s00221-023-06661-2.Taïb S, Yrondi A, Lemesle B, Péran P, Pariente J.What are the neural correlates of dissociative amnesia? A systematic review of the functional neuroimaging literature.Front Psychiatry. 2023;14:1092826. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1092826National Health Service.Understanding and interacting with people in post-traumatic amnesia: information for relatives, carers and friends.Alberini CM, Travaglia A.Infantile amnesia: a critical period of learning to learn and remember.J Neurosci. 2017;37(24):5783-5795. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0324-17.2017Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center.Transient global amnesia.Ortega-de San Luis C, Ryan TJ.United states of amnesia: rescuing memory loss from diverse conditions.Dis Model Mech. 2018;11(5):dmm035055. doi:10.1242/dmm.035055Casaletto KB, Heaton RK.Neuropsychological assessment: past and future.J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2017;23(9-10):778-790. doi:10.1017/S1355617717001060Fijtman A, Bücker J, Strange BA, Martins DS, Passos IC, Hasse-Sousa M,et al.Emotional memory in bipolar disorder: Impact of multiple episodes and childhood trauma.J Affect Disord. 2020 Jan 1;260:206-213. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.09.003.Harvard Health Publishing.Drugs for Alzheimer’s disease.
Allen RJ.Classic and recent advances in understanding amnesia.F1000Res. 2018;7:331. doi:10.12688/f1000research.13737.1
Stendardi D, De Luca F, Gambino S, Ciaramelli E.Retrograde amnesia abolishes the self-reference effect in anterograde memory.Exp Brain Res. 2023 Aug;241(8):2057-2067. doi: 10.1007/s00221-023-06661-2.
Taïb S, Yrondi A, Lemesle B, Péran P, Pariente J.What are the neural correlates of dissociative amnesia? A systematic review of the functional neuroimaging literature.Front Psychiatry. 2023;14:1092826. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1092826
National Health Service.Understanding and interacting with people in post-traumatic amnesia: information for relatives, carers and friends.
Alberini CM, Travaglia A.Infantile amnesia: a critical period of learning to learn and remember.J Neurosci. 2017;37(24):5783-5795. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0324-17.2017
Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center.Transient global amnesia.
Ortega-de San Luis C, Ryan TJ.United states of amnesia: rescuing memory loss from diverse conditions.Dis Model Mech. 2018;11(5):dmm035055. doi:10.1242/dmm.035055
Casaletto KB, Heaton RK.Neuropsychological assessment: past and future.J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2017;23(9-10):778-790. doi:10.1017/S1355617717001060
Fijtman A, Bücker J, Strange BA, Martins DS, Passos IC, Hasse-Sousa M,et al.Emotional memory in bipolar disorder: Impact of multiple episodes and childhood trauma.J Affect Disord. 2020 Jan 1;260:206-213. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.09.003.
Harvard Health Publishing.Drugs for Alzheimer’s disease.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
