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Amnesia for traumatic events among recent survivors: a pilot study
Yoram Yovell1, Yair Bannett, Arieh Y Shalev
1Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York City, NY, USA.
CNS Spectrums
|April 14, 2004
Summary
Trauma survivors commonly experience brief, irreversible memory gaps. However, longer, progressive amnesia is linked to developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Trauma Studies
Background:
- Traumatic amnesia is well-documented in psychoanalytic literature but inconsistently in research.
- Previous research has not clearly differentiated memory deficits in trauma survivors.
Observation:
- Six trauma survivors were prospectively interviewed at 7, 30, and 120 days post-event.
- Detailed recollections of the traumatic day were documented for each survivor.
Findings:
- Four subjects without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exhibited brief, stable memory gaps at peak emotional intensity.
- Two subjects who developed PTSD showed longer, progressive, unstable memory gaps, in addition to stable deficits.
Implications:
- Stable memory gaps may stem from stress-induced hippocampal dysfunction affecting memory acquisition.
- Unstable amnesia in PTSD patients could relate to a failure of spontaneous recall, akin to repression.
- Findings suggest distinct memory profiles for trauma survivors with and without PTSD.
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