ABSTRACT
The tragic effects of amnesia `Amnesia' is the name given to disorders of memory. Amnesia normally involves severe forgetfulness which goes beyond the everyday forgetting observed in normal people, to the extent that it may interfere with the activities of normal life. We are all prone to moments of forgetfulness, but most people with intact cognitive functioning can remember quite a lot about the events in their lives, especially their most recent experiences and events which are important to them. However, a person suffering from amnesia may be quite unable to remember any recent events in their lives, even the most important ones. You can probably recall quite easily where you were five minutes ago, or the person you just chatted with, or even what you did yesterday evening. Many amnesics would be unable to remember these simple things, and may have no idea of what they have done with their day so far. In severe cases they may be quite unable to commit any new experiences to memory, and this can be very disruptive to their lives. Without an intact memory it can become impossible to keep a job, to keep up relationships with family and friends, or even to look after oneself and maintain an independent existence. In fact it is clear from the study of severely amnesic patients that memory is quite crucial to our ability to function properly as human beings. Amnesia is a very disruptive and distressing condition. However, it is also a disorder from which a great deal can be learned about the nature of memory function.
