anterograde amnesia

noun

Meaning

The inability to form new memories following a traumatic event or neurological damage, while retaining memories from before the incident.

Examples

  • Patients with severe anterograde amnesia often struggle to navigate new environments because they cannot store spatial information.
  • The film depicts a character whose anterograde amnesia forces him to rely on polaroid photos and tattoos to keep track of his daily life.

Synonyms: memory loss, forgetfulness, amnesia, memory impairment