Anterograde amnesiais atype of amnesiathat refers to an inability to create new memories.
This hinders the ability to learn something new.
Anterograde amnesia is different fromretrograde amnesia, which is the inability to remember old memories.
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Anterograde amnesia is triggered by damage to the memory-making parts of the brain and may be temporary or long-lasting.
Living with anterograde amnesia can significantly affect everyday life and activities.
While there is no cure, there are some tools and therapies that can help.
However, the two conditions are different.
Anterograde amnesia can be thought of as short-term memory loss.
Someone with anterograde amnesia will have issues remembering things that happen after the event that caused their amnesia.
This is different from retrograde amnesia, which affects the memory of what happened before the amnesia-causing event.
In addition, challenges with short-term memory can make it harder to store information for long-term memory.
Most research on anterograde amnesia is specific to certain conditions or cases.
More research is needed to give a complete picture of anterograde amnesia.
A healthcare provider will use these images to determine if there are physical abnormalities in the brain.
Therapies are also designed to help with learning since retaining new information is the hallmark of anterograde amnesia.
People with anterograde amnesia may benefit from procedural learning and priming.
Procedural learning involves learning through motor and cognitive skills, such as riding a bike or driving a car.
Prognosis
Some cases of anterograde amnesia are temporary, while others are long-lasting.
It depends on what caused the anterograde amnesia and whether that can be managed.
However, in the case of transient global amnesia, anterograde amnesia is significant but temporary.
Coping
Living with anterograde amnesia can be debilitating, especially if it is long-term.
The inability to learn new information can make it feel impossible to try new tasks or meet new people.
Summary
Anterograde amnesia is a throw in of amnesia marked by an inability to form new memories.
This makes learning new information extremely difficult.
Anterograde amnesia can be temporary or long-term.
Determining the underlying cause of anterograde amnesia will help determine the appropriate treatment through management.
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