Unexplained profound anterograde amnesia

Anterograde amnesia is traditionally associated with an organic aetiology. However there are a significant number of individuals who have experienced anterograde amnesia with no identifiable organic damage. Cases experiencing non-organic anterograde amnesia are described using a range of labels in the relevant literature (psychogenic, dissociative, functional). This review identified and compared case studies experiencing this rare condition, and the underlying theory based on a systematic literature search of both case studies and theoretical papers. The Web of Science, PsycInfo, Medline, Embase and Cinahl databases were searched, alongside reference lists from the relevant papers. 16 papers were retrieved, ranging in dates from (1993 to 2018). 10 of these papers were case studies and the remaining six were theoretical papers. The cases included were all adults. The quality of the case-studies was evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool for case studies. The case-studies are compared across a number of domains; neuropsychological testing, retrograde memory, anterograde memory, implicit memory and case history. Mechanisms of forgetting are compared from the theoretical papers. Lack of consensus within the relevant literature on labels and aetiology pose challenges for the construction of a research base. The results show a focus on ‘psychological stress’ as the perceived aetiology in non-organic amnesias, however other explanations including metabolic changes should be further explored.