Amnesia

Relevant evidence may include neurological examinations, MRI or CT imaging, cognitive testing, laboratory results, medication and substance history, and EEG when clinically indicated. Head injury, stroke, seizures, hypoxic brain injury, medications, toxic or metabolic conditions, and other neurological disorders can produce different patterns of memory impairment. A normal result on one test does not necessarily exclude amnesia or every possible neurological cause.

Yes. Dissociative amnesia can involve an inability to recall important autobiographical information and is often associated with trauma or severe stress. Neurological disorders, head injury, seizures, medication or substance effects, and other medical or psychiatric causes should also be considered when determining the source of the memory disturbance.

Anterograde amnesia involves difficulty forming or retaining new memories after the onset of the condition. Retrograde amnesia involves loss of memories formed before the event or illness associated with the memory disturbance. A person may experience either pattern or both, depending on the underlying cause.