Question
What are the types and impacts of Post-Traumatic Amnesia (PTA) on memory and daily functioning?
Answer
Post-Traumatic Amnesia (PTA) manifests in two distinct types: retrograde and anterograde. Retrograde PTA involves partial or total memory loss of events immediately preceding the brain injury. This type of memory loss typically diminishes over time, gradually improving recollection of events closer to the injury's occurrence.
Anterograde amnesia, on the other hand, is characterized by the inability to form new memories following the injury. This condition results in difficulties with memory retention and attention, making it hard for individuals to learn new strategies, recall names, or understand their surroundings, which hinders orientation. Anterograde memory often returns last during recovery from loss of consciousness.
The duration of PTA can range from minutes to months and correlates directly with long-term outcomes. A longer PTA duration generally indicates a less favorable prognosis, especially when coupled with severe brain injury. Declarative memory, which is essential for forming new memories, is impaired during PTA, while implicit and procedural memory remains intact, allowing routine tasks such as tying shoelaces or brushing teeth to continue unaffected. However, new learning, such as remembering a nurse's name or orientation details, is significantly impacted until PTA resolves. Formal assessments, like the Galveston Orientation Amnesia Test (GOAT), play a crucial role in evaluating PTA by addressing components of orientation systematically.
This Ask the Expert is an excerpt from the course, Acquired Brain Injury: Functional Treatment Across Settings, presented by Erin O. Mattingly, MA, CCC-SLP, CBIS.
