
However, generally speaking, the amount of time can sometimes determine the severity of a survivor’s brain injury.įor example, some survivors may experience post-traumatic amnesia for weeks or in rare cases, months. There is no exact time frame indicating how long a survivor will experience post-traumatic amnesia. The presence and duration of anterograde amnesia is one of the best predictors of brain injury outcome. How Long Can Post-Traumatic Amnesia Last?Īnterograde amnesia is the most common type of amnesia survivors experience after a brain injury. However, it can help to remember that post-traumatic amnesia is almost always temporary and a step in the recovery process. It can be difficult to see your loved one in this state and not as their usual self. Because this is due to the affected areas of the brain responsible for self-regulation and control, survivors may struggle with controlling their actions. Post-traumatic amnesia after brain injury can cloud the ability to distinguish right from wrong in social or emotional situations. Survivors with post-traumatic amnesia may experience many of the following symptoms such as: Signs and Symptoms of Post-Traumatic AmnesiaĮvery brain injury is different and therefore the effects are also different. Post-traumatic amnesia can invoke confusion and frustration in survivors because they have difficulty remembering where they are, how they got there, or any new information since the injury.

This most often occurs after severe traumatic events, but luckily as survivors recover they begin to remember themselves. They may not recognize their own reflection in the mirror. Though more rare, this type of amnesia can cause a survivor to not only forget their memories but also their identity.

Sometimes both anterograde and retrograde amnesia can occur together after brain injury. However, a survivor can often create new memories. This type of amnesia causes a person to forget events that occurred prior to their injury, opposite of anterograde. However, they can often remember data and events that occurred before the brain injury. This means a survivor cannot remember new information provided like a conversation they just had. Post-traumatic amnesia can be broken down into several different types: It’s important to understand this is an early stage of recovery in which the brain is healing. This can last from a few minutes to a couple weeks, depending on the severity of the brain injury. During this time the survivor may not be able to recall certain memories. Post-traumatic amnesia typically occurs after a survivor wakes up from a coma, a period of unconsciousness. Damage to one or more of these areas can often result in post-traumatic amnesia.

Several regions of the brain are involved in the process of memory including the amygdala, hippocampus, cerebellum, and prefrontal cortex.

When amnesia occurs after a concussion or brain injury it is referred to as post-traumatic amnesia. It can inhibits the formation of new memories and/or the recollection of old ones. What Causes Amnesia After Brain Injury?Īmnesia is the loss of memory.
Retrograde amnesia causes how to#
This article will discuss how to identify the signs of post-traumatic amnesia and how to help your loved one overcome the challenges of amnesia after brain injury. When a survivor does experience symptoms, it’s important to understand that it’s a sign of recovery and the phase will eventually pass. During this stage, survivors may struggle with memory and exhibit uncharacteristic behaviors, or they may pass through this phase so quickly that they do not experience any symptoms at all. One stage survivors may experience in the recovery process after brain injury is post-traumatic amnesia.
