Amnesia |
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Temporary short-term
memory loss is quite common. At some
point, almost everyone forgets a birthday,
a name, or an important event. However,
this type of forgetfulness is different
from amnesia, which refers to persistent
and profound memory loss.
Amnesia may be
partial or complete and this depends
on causative factors. The severity of
amnesia varies among individuals.
Causes and Risk Factors
Several factors
lead to amnesia that simultaneously
lead to the degeneration and permanent
loss of brain cells. The causes of amnesia
may be age-related, genetic, psychological
or physical. Some physical causes of
amnesia are malnutrition, vitamin deficiency,
stroke, poisoning and dementia. Age-related
amnesia, as the name suggests, occurs
due to old age. It typically affects
short-term memory while long-term memory
remains stable.
Amnesia also
develops from brain diseases such as
Alzheimer's disease. The use of certain
drugs and alcohol may adversely affect
the functioning of the brain and lead
to amnesia. Severe head injuries also
increase the risk of developing amnesia.
Amnesia may be
associated with some traumatic or emotional
event. In some cases, it may be difficult
to cope with a painful experience so
the mind escapes through “forgetting”
the event. For instance, many victims
of sexual abuse or victims of violent
assaults are unable to recall the traumatic
incidents at a later date.
The memory
becomes impaired when the functioning
of the brain becomes slower. This happens
because of inadequate functioning of
the nerve cells.
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