Fixation amnesia: causes, features of the course and symptoms

In a general and common understanding of amnesia is memory loss. There are several varieties of this disease. It is one of the most difficult - fixative amnesia, which is characterized by the inability to remember the events that occur.

The patient does not remember the recent incident. He is not able to retell the words he heard a second before. In addition to ongoing events, the patient does not remember anything about himself - his name, age, location, purpose of being in a certain place.

All the information of ten - twenty years ago is perfectly preserved. A person can retell it with all the smallest details. Sometimes a patient is not able to understand when an event happened to him.

Absolutely healthy and usual reaction to one's own state become confusion, an innocent smile, surprise. Fixation amnesia is the extreme and most severe form of the Korsakov syndrome.

Typical patient

This type of amnesia has a seizure course. After a certain period of time, the patient forgets everything that happened to him recently. In addition to events, feelings, experiences, and any other sensations are not recorded in memory.

There are so-called false memories. A person fills in the gaps in memory with his own notions or events of a long time ago. In a fixative amnesiac, consciousness and motivation are not violated. He can talk, express his attitude to some things or events, but immediately after the conversation forgets everything.

Performance and all skills are also preserved. However, due to the constant lack of communication between what is happening and consciousness, memory, in most cases it becomes impossible to do anything.

Involuntary, implicit memory is not broken. The history of the study of the disease showed that some managed to remember such complex information, as a musical composition.

The development of this type of amnesia occurs gradually. At the earliest stage, names disappear from memory, sick people get confused in space and time, recent events are erased from the head.

A feature of this type of memory loss is its slow development rate. For several decades, fixative amnesia can not make itself felt and manifest itself unnoticed. Most often, the syndrome reaches its peak of development by the age of 40.By this time, seizures, seizures and seizures that are characteristic of this disorder begin.

Patients with this form of amnesia are susceptible to:

• disorientation;
• dizziness and migraine;
• memory loss;
• confabulation;
• loss of learning ability.

Because of seizures, the patient is not able to correctly perceive events and reality. There is a disorientation in time and space.

The constant headache does not give rest. Changing behavior and mood. The person becomes irritable, impulsive.

All the information of the recent past disappears from memory. Old memories are brightly preserved, which are often perceived as recent events.

The very word "confabulation" in Latin means to talk, talk. Patients often encounter such a phenomenon. They are so confused in their memories, past and present events that they begin to invent and imagine unprecedented facts and present them for real ones.

It's very difficult to give up a habitual, full-fledged way of life. But to do something, continue to work in his profession does not work. After all, any heard word, impression and everything else is erased in seconds or, at best, in a few hours.

The disease affects the entire body. The rhythm of the heartbeat changes, coordination of movements, sensitivity of the organism is disturbed, excitability increases.

Provoking causes of

The cause of the fixative and any other type of amnesia is the destruction of brain cells. It can happen because of various reasons:

Deficiency of vitamin B1.It is called thiamine. This substance ensures the normal development and activity of the brain.

Inflammation of the brain tissue. Such diseases as encephalitis, meningitis can cause memory loss.

Concussion and head trauma. The temporary manifestation of the syndrome is often a consequence of disasters.

Tumors, cysts, fibrotic and cancers in the brain.

Chronic alcoholism. The constant use of alcoholic beverages for many years almost always provokes a loss of memory.

Oxygen starvation. Different factors can be caused by oxygen starvation, because of which there is a single manifestation of fixative amnesia. Atherosclerosis, VSD, osteochondrosis of the neck can cause memory loss.

All kinds of epilepsy.

Drugs that cause intoxication of the body. Such are heroin, opium, spice.

Toxic shock caused by prolonged use of certain medicines.

Emotional or psychological trauma, persistent stress, overwork.

Degenerative diseases of the brain - Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, dementia.

Lack of vitamins and minerals rich in food.

Schizophrenia, mania, depression.

Overdose by medical means.

All these disorders cause destruction of brain cells, which is the reason for manifestation of fixative amnesia.

What can I do

To treat amnesia requires a comprehensive approach. The organism is replenished with vitamin B1, medicinal preparations are used to improve blood circulation and nutrition by the beneficial substances of the brain region, antidepressants are prescribed.

Regular meetings with a psychiatrist and a psychologist are mandatory. There are special games and exercises for improving memory.