Amnesias: Real and Simulated

The portrayal of amnesia by the media is typically far removed from the reality. I will first describe the various kinds of amnesias that result from brain injury. These conditions are not only of clinical importance, but they have helped to reveal divisions between different types of memory, including ‘explicit’ versus ‘implicit’ memory and short-term versus long-term memory.

In some instances, the severity of the amnesia far outweighs the apparent degree of brain pathology. A variety of ‘psychogenic’ amnesias are described.  Finally, simulated amnesias are considered.  There are a variety of reasons why someone might pretend to be amnesic. The task of the psychologist is to determine whether the amnesia is genuine.