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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffTreatment for amnesia focuses on techniques and strategies to help make up for the memory problem.
Occupational therapy
A person with amnesia may work with an occupational therapist to learn new information to replace what was lost, or to use intact memories as a basis for taking in new information. Memory training may also include a variety of strategies for organizing information so that it's easier to remember and for improving understanding of extended conversation.
Technological assistance
Many people with amnesia find it helpful to use a personal digital assistant (PDA), such as a Palm Treo, BlackBerry or iPhone. With some training and practice, even people with severe amnesia can use these electronic organizers to help with day-to-day tasks. For example, they can program the PDA to remind them about important events or to take medications.
Low-tech memory aids include notebooks, wall calendars, pill minders and photographs of people and places.
Medications or supplements
No medications are currently available for treating most types of amnestic syndrome. Because Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome involves a lack of thiamin, treatment includes replacing this vitamin and providing proper nutrition. Although treatment, which also needs to include alcohol abstinence, can help prevent further damage, most people won't recover all of their lost memory.
Researchers are investigating several neurotransmitters involved in memory formation, which may one day lead to new treatments for memory disorders. But the complexity of the brain processes involved makes it unlikely that a single medication will be able to resolve memory problems.
- Amnesias. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec16/ch210/ch210c.html. Accessed July 30, 2009.
- Simon RP, et al. Disorders of cognitive function. In: Simon RP, et al. Clinical Neurology. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=5143601. Accessed Aug. 4, 2009.
- Davis PH. Transient global anemia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 30, 2009.
- Heilman KM. Evaluation and management of amnesic disorders. In: Noseworthy JH. Neurological Therapeutics: Principles and Practice. London, New York: Martin Dunitz; 2003. library.mayo.edu/ebook-noseworthy/266_Neuro_XIV.pdf Accessed Aug. 4, 2009.
- Ropper AH, et al. Diseases of the nervous system caused by nutritional deficiency. In: Ropper AH, et al. Adams and Victor's Principles of Neurology. 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3639886. Accessed Aug. 4, 2009.
- Miller BL, et al. Memory loss. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2885255.
- Woodruff BK (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. Rochester, Minn. Aug. 5, 2009.
