Memory loss resident survival guide

Revision as of 13:00, 18 August 2020 by MoisesRomo (talk | contribs)
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Moises Romo, M.D.

Overview

Amnesia is a condition in which memory is disturbed or lost. The causes of amnesia can be organic or functional. Organic causes include damage to the brain through trauma or disease or the use of certain (generally sedative) drugs. Functional causes are psychological factors, such as defense mechanisms. Hysterical post-traumatic amnesia is an example of this. Amnesia may also be spontaneous, in the case of transient global amnesia. This global type of amnesia is more common in middle-aged to elderly people, particularly males, and usually lasts less than 24 hours. Memory loss can be partial or total and is normally expected as we get older.

Causes

Life Threatening Causes

Common Causes

Diagnosis

  • Shown below is an algorithm summarizing the diagnosis of amnesia according to the the American Academy of Neurology guidelines: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3898682/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC535652/ https://www.aafp.org/afp/2005/0501/p1745.html
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Patient with amnesia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Acute onset
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chronic onset
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Measure vitamin B12, and folate, and TSH
 
Abnormal?
 
Yes
 
Vitamin deficiency, hypothyroidism
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fluctuating course, inattention, disorganized thinking, or altered level of consciousness?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Positive for SIGE CAPS questionary?
 
Yes
 
Depression
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Yes
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
No
 
Severe disimpairment in social functioning?
 
No
 
Normal aging
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Delirium
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dementia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Take history and perform physical examination
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Take history and perform physical examination
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
History of head trauma?
 
Yes
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
No
 
Concussion, post-concussive amnesia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Measure urine toxicology, CBC, creatinine, electrolites, and glucose to reveal cause
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Initial short term memory loss
 
Vascular risk factors, imaging evidence of cerebrovascular involvement
 
Young age, behavioral symptoms or language impairment
 
 
Bradikinesia or features of parkinsonism,

fluctuating cognition, [[visual

hallucinations]]
 
 
 
Dementia occuring 1 year after onset of Parkinson disease
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Alzheimer disease
 
Vascular dementia
 
Frontotemporal dementia
 
 
Dementia with Lewy bodies
 
 
 
Parkinson disease dementia
 
 

Do's

Don'ts

References

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