Mnestic blockade resulting from stress and trauma

Background: Stress and trauma experiences may influence memory selectively and persistently. The question arises whether these environmentally induced memory disturbances manifest themselves on the brain level and whether the y can be traced down to anatomical and biochemical levels. Objective: In th is review it is asked whether there are correlates for environmentally indu ced memory disturbances and what kind of possibilities exist for their diag nosis and possible treatment. Method: After introducing currently discussed memory systems and divisions, results and interpretations of studies on me mory disturbances caused by psychic alterations are screened and analyzed. Results: A considerable number of studies were obtained which fitted criter ia and in part of which neuroanatomical correlates for environmentally-indu ced memory disturbances were reported. Conclusions: It is emphasized that t he traditional dichotomy between organic-neurological and psychiatric-psych ogenic illnesses can no longer be retained, that amnesias can be of selecti ve nature, and that correlations between stress and trauma states and modif ied steroid release in the brain level (glucocorticoids) are likely. It is proposed to term the selective memory disturbances found in cases with func tional amnesia "mnestic block syndrome." This preliminary labeling is diffe rentiated from other dissociative and conversion reactions as well as from depressive conditions.