amnesiac

Amnesiac is a term used to describe a person who has amnesia, a memory deficit that results from brain injury, disease, or psychological factors. Amnesia can affect recent or distant memories and may involve impaired memory formation, retrieval, or both.

Types include anterograde amnesia (inability to form new memories after onset), retrograde amnesia (loss of memories from before onset), transient global amnesia (sudden, temporary memory loss lasting hours), and dissociative (psychogenic) amnesia (memory gaps linked to trauma or stress).

Causes range from physical brain damage due to head injury, stroke, infection, tumor, or surgery, to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, or substance use such as alcohol or certain drugs. Psychological factors can produce dissociative amnesia. Other conditions like epilepsy can be involved.

Diagnosis relies on clinical history, neurological examination, imaging (MRI or CT), and neuropsychological testing to determine the type and cause. Treatment targets the underlying condition and may include rehabilitation, memory strategies, psychotherapy for dissociative amnesia, and medications for associated disorders.

Prognosis varies by cause and severity; some memory loss improves over time, while other deficits persist. In popular culture, Amnesiac is the title of Radiohead's 2001 studio album.