Post-traumatic amnesia

Editor-In-Chief: Prab R Tumpati, MD
Obesity, Sleep & Internal medicine
Founder, WikiMD Wellnesspedia &
W8MD medical weight loss NYC and sleep center NYC

Post-traumatic amnesia
Synonyms	N/A
Pronounce	N/A
Specialty	N/A
Symptoms	Memory loss, disorientation, confusion
Complications	N/A
Onset	Immediately after traumatic brain injury
Duration	Minutes to weeks, depending on severity
Types	N/A
Causes	Traumatic brain injury
Risks	Motor vehicle accidents, falls, sports injuries
Diagnosis	Clinical assessment, Glasgow Coma Scale, neuropsychological testing
Differential diagnosis	Concussion, dementia, delirium
Prevention	N/A
Treatment	Supportive care, rehabilitation, cognitive therapy
Medication	N/A
Prognosis	Varies; can be full recovery or persistent memory issues
Frequency	Common in traumatic brain injury cases
Deaths	N/A

Post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) is a state of confusion that occurs immediately following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in which the injured person is disoriented and unable to remember events that occur after the injury. The person may be unable to state their name, where they are, and what time it is. When continuous memory returns, PTA is considered to have resolved. While PTA lasts, new events cannot be stored in the memory.

Causes

PTA is caused by a traumatic brain injury, such as a blow to the head. The length of time that PTA lasts can be an indicator of the severity of the brain injury. The longer the duration of amnesia, the more severe the injury is likely to be.

Symptoms

The main symptom of PTA is memory loss. This can be loss of memory for events before the injury (retrograde amnesia), or events after the injury (anterograde amnesia). Other symptoms can include confusion, disorientation, and agitation.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of PTA is based on clinical assessment of the patient's ability to consistently form new memories. This is often done using the Galveston Orientation and Amnesia Test (GOAT), which assesses orientation to person, place, and time, and the ability to remember events since the injury.

Treatment

Treatment for PTA involves supportive care and rehabilitation. This can include occupational therapy to help the person manage daily activities, and cognitive rehabilitation to improve memory and other cognitive functions.

Prognosis

The prognosis for PTA depends on the severity of the brain injury. Most people with mild to moderate injuries recover fully, but those with severe injuries may have long-term problems with memory and cognition.

Post-traumatic_amnesia images

• 

  Hippocampus

• 

  Arginine vasopressin 3D model

• 

  Shell shock

• 

  Elderly Woman

See also

• Traumatic brain injury
• Amnesia
• Retrograde amnesia
• Anterograde amnesia

References

This article is a medical stub. You can help WikiMD by expanding it!
Most recent articles Ongoing trials	Wikipedia