Amnestic state in a Holocaust survivor patient: psychogenic versus neurological basis

Differentiation between psychogenic and organic amnesia is sometimes quite difficult. This paper focuses on the psychogenic and organic components of a complex case of amnesia rooted in remote and prolonged traumatic stress and manifested under circumstances evoking dissociated memories. The Transient Global Amnesia (TGA) of a concentration camp survivor who developed sudden amnesia during a psychiatric intake interview was clearly triggered by the pressure of repressed Holocaust memories. The importance of distinguishing between TGA and dissociative amnesia is emphasized, and the role of psychological upset as a precipitant in TGA is stressed.