Selective "semantic amnesia" after closed-head injury. A case report

Cortex. 1988 Sep;24(3):457-64. doi: 10.1016/s0010-9452(88)80009-1.

Abstract

An 18-year-old girl with a left parietal lesion caused by a closed-head injury exhibited a peculiar memory impairment. The patient showed selective "semantic amnesia" (severe loss of the stock of notions acquired prior to the disease), while autobiographic memory and spatial learning ability were preserved. The semantic/episodic distinction is discussed in the light of the patient's performance on neuropsychological tasks.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Amnesia / etiology*
  • Amnesia / psychology
  • Craniocerebral Trauma / complications*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Intelligence Tests
  • Language Disorders / etiology*
  • Memory
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Verbal Learning