ABSTRACT
Loss of memory following brain damage is a common occurrence, and its effects on a victim’s life can be devastating. Normal employment is usually impossible, because the patient is a hazard both to themselves and to others. The home also becomes a dangerous environment for amnesic patients, and they need constant supervision to ensure that accidents do not occur. Amnesic patients can also become bored and frustrated, in that reading a book, watching a film or following a conversation all require an intact memory; so the patient is often reduced to low-level activities to pass the time. Amnesia can also affect the patient’s social life, extreme forgetfulness and the tendency to repeat the same question over and over again creating tension in even the most sympathetic relative or friend. Problems in remembering new information present the major difficulty to an amnesic, but retrograde amnesia can also have disturbing consequences. Some patients, such as those with Korsakoffs Syndrome, seem to accept their impairment; but for others, loss of memory is a source of distress which can lead to psychiatric illness. A person with impaired memory is therefore likely to be unemployed, at risk, bored, frustrated and even anxious or depressed.
