Amnesia - What is Amnesia?
Definition
Amnesia is a profound memory loss which may be due to an accident, alcoholism, or disease (such as Alzheimer's disease). There are many kinds of amnesia, some of which block only the most recent memories, such as what was eaten for lunch.
Amnesia is a condition in which memory is disturbed. The causes of amnesia are organic or functional. Organic causes include damage to the brain, through trauma or disease, or use of certain (generally sedative) drugs. Amnesia may also be spontaneous. Amnesia is more common in middle-aged to elderly people, particularly males, and usually lasts less than 24 hours.
Amnesias resulting from brain damage are often more varied in nature. Temporary or not, they can have more wide-ranging effects, from erasing the memory of a precise event to preventing the act of acquiring new memories.
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