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Anterograde Amnesia

Definition

Anterograde amnesia is a condition where an individual's ability to form new memories following an event that caused the amnesia is impaired or lost, while their memory for past events may remain intact.

Analogy

Imagine if your camera suddenly stopped saving new pictures. You can still view all the old photos, but any new ones you take just disappear. That's what anterograde amnesia is like for your memory.

Related terms

Explicit Memory: The conscious, intentional recollection of factual information, previous experiences and concepts.

Hippocampus: Part of the limbic system in our brains which plays important roles in consolidating information from short-term memory into long-term memory.

Neurodegenerative Diseases: Disorders characterized by progressive deterioration of structure or function of neurons including diseases such as Alzheimer’s which can cause anterograde amnesia.