Comparison with organic amnesia
Psychogenic amnesia is supposed to differ from organic amnesia in a number of ways; one being that unlike organic amnesia, psychogenic amnesia is thought to occur when no structural damage to the brain or brain lesion is evident. Psychological triggers are instead considered as preceding psychogenic amnesia, and indeed many anecdotal case studies which are cited as evidence of psychogenic amnesia hail from traumatic experiences such as World War II. As aforementioned however, an etiology of psychogenic amnesia is controversial as causation is not always clear (see above paragraph), and both elements of psychological stress and organic amnesia may be present among cases. Often, but not necessarily, a premorbid history of psychiatric illness such as depression is thought to be present in conjunction to triggers of psychological stress. Lack of psychological evidence precipitating amnesia doesnt mean there isnt any, for example trauma during childhood has even been cited as triggering amnesia later in life, but such an argument runs the risk of psychogenic amnesia becoming an umbrella term for any amnesia of which there is no apparent organic cause. Due to organic amnesia often being difficult to detect, defining between organic and psychogenic amnesia is not easy and often context of precipitating experiences are considered (for example, if there has been drug abuse) as well as the symptomology the patient presents with. Psychogenic amnesia is supposed to differ from organic amnesia qualitatively in that retrograde loss of autobiographical memory while semantic memory remains intact is said to be specific of psychogenic amnesia.
If no motive for the amnesia was immediately apparent, deeper motives were usually sought by questioning the patient more intensely, often in conjunction with hypnosis and truth drugs. In many cases, however, patients were found to spontaneously recover from their amnesia on their own accord so no treatment was required. In popular culture
Psychogenic amnesia is a common fictional plot device in many films, books and other media. Examples include William Shakespeares King Lear, who experienced amnesia and madness following a betrayal by his daughters; and the title character Nina in Nicolas Dalayracs 1786 opera. In the 2009 Televisa-produced telenovela Sortilegio, the main female protagonist (Jacqueline Bracamontes) is kidnapped and her memory is wiped using drugs. In OMORI, one of the main characters (Sunny) has dissociative amnesia. In the 2009 Breaking Bad television programs second season episode Bit by a Dead Bee, the main protagonist, Walter White, fakes a fugue state to account for his whereabouts. See also
Effects of stress on memory
Depersonalization
Dissociative disorders

References


== External links ==