MASSIVE AND PERSISTENT ANTEROGRADE AMNESIA IN THE ABSENCE OF DETECTABLE BRAIN-DAMAGE - ANTEROGRADE PSYCHOGENIC AMNESIA OR GROSS REDUCTION IN SUSTAINED EFFORT

The case of a young patient with severe and persistent anterograde amn esia of no known cause is reported. Anterograde amnesia arose within a 1-month period and has persisted for more than 1 year. Although a wid e variety of neurological and neuroradiological assessments were compl eted (EEG, evoked potential recordings, Doppler sonography, MRI, PET), no evidence of brain damage was detected. Neuropsychologically, the p atient was of high intelligence, had average to above-average short-te rm memory, and normal retrograde memory abilities, but severe and pers istent anterograde amnesia in both verbal and nonverbal domains. Furth ermore, he demonstrated grossly reduced long-term concentration. It is likely that a complex chain of interacting variables can produce a sy ndrome that appears phenomenologically as anterograde amnesia without organically measurable correlates.