Causes of amnesia

Depression

Memory loss and an inability to focus may not seem like obvious symptoms of depression, but they are more connected than most people realize Research has suggested that processing speed or the ability to take in information quickly and efficiently is impaired in individuals who are depressed. Many areas of the brain are involved with the creation and retrieval of memories. Irregularities in any of these areas, including those that create depression symptoms, can affect how one process memories and also influence your ability to concentration.

At first, depression-based memory loss and difficulty focusing may just be mildly annoying, but these types of cognitive defects can become quite serious over time and result in a diminished level of functioning in many capacities. For example, People with depression often feel like they can’t focus when giving or receiving direction, which can result in misunderstandings at home, work, or school. This explains why Jay lost his direction when going home after work. Relationships may suffer if people begin to perceive your distraction as a lack of consideration for what they’re trying to tell you. 

Jay’s friends felt disappointed when he could not remember the good moments of their friendship. Individual’s with amnesia find that they can’t focus on a task if other things are taking place around them, distracting them from their intended job and leaving it incomplete or below expectations. Also, comprehending what they are reading may become difficult, resulting in missed information from written instructions or a lack of enjoyment when reading for pleasure. Their ability to remember specific details may be hindered due to lack of concentration when given new information. This explains Jay’s poor performance in school after the presence of the disorder. People with amnesia are instructed not to drive. This is because driving can become dangerous if their train of thought strays and you find you can’t focus on the road.

Anxiety

Memory loss affects different individuals in different ways. It tends to be more severe in those with sever anxiety. The main cause of memory loss is a hormone known as cortisol. It's the hormone released during stress, which is why those with severe anxiety and ultimately severe stress are more at risk for developing memory loss problems. Numerous studies have confirmed that cortisol contributes to memory loss, especially short term memory loss, because it is a toxin to the cells of the brain. The longer one deals with anxiety, the more cortisol one will have in his or her system, and that means that he or she is more likely to continue suffering from memory loss in the future.

Other causes of amnesia include:

 Underactive thyroid- this means one thyroid gland which is found in the neck does not produce enough hormones. Individuals with lower activities of the thyroid gland are at risk of memory loss which is a sign of amnesia.

Stressful event- this type of amnesia is known as psychogenic amnesia. It is whereby the patient blocks out a part of his or her memory of an unpleasant event in the past. This makes them unable to remember important information. The loss of jay’s grandfather triggered the onset of amnesia and the partial paralysis. Psychological stress during childhood may lead to childhood amnesia. This leads to Inability to remember events during that period of life.

 Medications- certain types of medication, such as sedatives and some treatments for Parkinson’s disease  may lead to memory loss over time.

Symptoms of amnesia

Loss of explicit memory - The typical amnesic patient is unable to recall recent information like what they ate for lunch or a newly heard telephone number. These are called explicit memory as they are memories for facts and events that are capable of being consciously remembered. Patient or sufferer of loss of explicit memory can often declare the loss as this is in his or her knowledge. One evening Jay lost his way home from the shop across the street and was nearly knocked down by an oncoming vehicle if it were not their neighbor who held his hand and took him home

Loss of implicit memory – Implicit memory refers to retention of the event or material information but incapability to recall it through conscious effort. In many cases the patient does not even have the knowledge that he or she has this information. Jay denied knowing of any existence of their long time car of which he had the duplicate keys. He also, could not trace misplaced items in the house.

Anterograde amnesia – this means the patient forgets all events that have happened after a particular traumatic event. This is seen in acute or sudden onset amnesia like after a head injury, stroke or seizure. These patients do not tend to forget their childhood, events and skills prior to the accident. They however have trouble remembering day-to-day events.

 

Retrograde amnesia refers to an inability to remember information that was acquired before the traumatic event or disease. Typically there is very poor recall of events that occurred in the near past of the brain damage. He could not remember his lower grade classmates including Ian who visited him at home frequently. His cousin whom they spend most of their childhood together found it hard to remind his their best moments back then of which jay found strange and unfamiliar.