This is here partly as an example of briefing notes, but mainly for use by students in succeeding years. The following notes are purposely written in a style and manner for the use of students on the topic of amnesia . The main aim is to provide a short, to the point, overview of amnesia, with specific pointers about where to get more detail.
Amnesia refers to a partial loss of memory.
It is basically forgetting which may result from very different causes. Generally means temporary or permanent impairment of some part of the memory system. Causes of amnesia Basically anything that damages the brain, which tends to slow down the rate of acquiring new information and the speed of renewing existing knowledge. Areas in brain which if damaged can produce amnesia, tend to involve a circuit linking the temporal lobes of brain with frontal lobes and the limbic system comprising of hippocampus and the maxillary bodies. One way of gaining some appreciation of the importance of amnesia is to study the plight of patients whose memory has been impaired as a result of brain damage.