Persistent Autobiographical Amnesia: A Case Report

We describe a 47-year-old man who referred to the Emergency Department for sudden global amnesia and left mild motor impairment in the setting of increased arterial blood pressure. The acute episode resolved within 24 hours. Despite general recovery and the apparent transitory nature of the event, a...

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Main Authors: C. Repetto, R. Manenti, V. Sansone, M. Cotelli, D. Perani, V. Garibotto, O. Zanetti, G. Meola, C. Miniussi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2007-01-01
Series:Behavioural Neurology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2007/534043
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author C. Repetto
R. Manenti
V. Sansone
M. Cotelli
D. Perani
V. Garibotto
O. Zanetti
G. Meola
C. Miniussi
author_facet C. Repetto
R. Manenti
V. Sansone
M. Cotelli
D. Perani
V. Garibotto
O. Zanetti
G. Meola
C. Miniussi
author_sort C. Repetto
collection DOAJ
description We describe a 47-year-old man who referred to the Emergency Department for sudden global amnesia and left mild motor impairment in the setting of increased arterial blood pressure. The acute episode resolved within 24 hours. Despite general recovery and the apparent transitory nature of the event, a persistent selective impairment in recollecting events from some specific topics of his personal life became apparent. Complete neuropsychological tests one week after the acute onset and 2 months later demonstrated a clear retrograde memory deficit contrasting with the preservation of anterograde memory and learning abilities. One year later, the autobiographic memory deficit was unmodified, except for what had been re-learnt. Brain MRI was normal while H20 brain PET scans demonstrated hypometabolism in the right globus pallidus and putamen after 2 weeks from onset, which was no longer present one year later. The absence of a clear pathomechanism underlying focal amnesia lead us to consider this case as an example of functional retrograde amnesia.
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spelling doaj-art-e229e73bc6e9418490ed83ff8f1059472025-08-20T02:21:13ZengWileyBehavioural Neurology0953-41801875-85842007-01-01181131710.1155/2007/534043Persistent Autobiographical Amnesia: A Case ReportC. Repetto0R. Manenti1V. Sansone2M. Cotelli3D. Perani4V. Garibotto5O. Zanetti6G. Meola7C. Miniussi8IRCCS San Giovanni di Dio FBF, Brescia, ItalyVita Salute University and San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, ItalyDepartment of Neurology, Policlinico San Donato, University of Milan, ItalyIRCCS San Giovanni di Dio FBF, Brescia, ItalyIRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, ItalyIRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, ItalyIRCCS San Giovanni di Dio FBF, Brescia, ItalyDepartment of Neurology, Policlinico San Donato, University of Milan, ItalyIRCCS San Giovanni di Dio FBF, Brescia, ItalyWe describe a 47-year-old man who referred to the Emergency Department for sudden global amnesia and left mild motor impairment in the setting of increased arterial blood pressure. The acute episode resolved within 24 hours. Despite general recovery and the apparent transitory nature of the event, a persistent selective impairment in recollecting events from some specific topics of his personal life became apparent. Complete neuropsychological tests one week after the acute onset and 2 months later demonstrated a clear retrograde memory deficit contrasting with the preservation of anterograde memory and learning abilities. One year later, the autobiographic memory deficit was unmodified, except for what had been re-learnt. Brain MRI was normal while H20 brain PET scans demonstrated hypometabolism in the right globus pallidus and putamen after 2 weeks from onset, which was no longer present one year later. The absence of a clear pathomechanism underlying focal amnesia lead us to consider this case as an example of functional retrograde amnesia.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2007/534043
spellingShingle C. Repetto
R. Manenti
V. Sansone
M. Cotelli
D. Perani
V. Garibotto
O. Zanetti
G. Meola
C. Miniussi
Persistent Autobiographical Amnesia: A Case Report
Behavioural Neurology
title Persistent Autobiographical Amnesia: A Case Report
title_full Persistent Autobiographical Amnesia: A Case Report
title_fullStr Persistent Autobiographical Amnesia: A Case Report
title_full_unstemmed Persistent Autobiographical Amnesia: A Case Report
title_short Persistent Autobiographical Amnesia: A Case Report
title_sort persistent autobiographical amnesia a case report
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2007/534043
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