Retrograde memory loss where many years disappear suddenly from memory is a known but rare form of memory disturbance among young and old subjects. For those whose brain is affected by a known organic damage such as head trauma the time lost from memory is usually not counted in years, but typically hours or sometimes days or weeks. We review in this article current knowledge on retrograde memory loss as we describe the experience of a 31 year old woman who experienced an unusually long form of retrograde amnesia. She developed the memory loss in the wake of disappointment and a life event. At the time she had major depression. Having described the case and presented the results of neuropsychological testing, we associate her story with the state of knowledge on retrograde memory loss.

Johannsson M, Karlsdottir TA, Sigurdsson E.

Back to the past. Case report and review on retrograde memory loss

Icel Med J 2011; 97: 159-64

Key words: Memory loss, retrograde, neuropsychological testing.

Correspondence: Engilbert Sigurðsson, engilbs@landspitali.is

Table I. Neuropsychological performance in percentiles

Cognitive domain	Test	Score/max score	Percentiles (norms****)
Orientation	Questions of Orientation	0 / 113*	-
Verbal memory:	Logical memory (WMS-II) Story A Immediate Delayed Recognition Story B Immediate (1) Immediate (2) Delayed Recognition RAVLT Immediate Delayed Recognition	18 / 25 14 / 25 15 / 15   11 / 25 20 / 25 17 / 25 15 /15   57 / 75 13 / 15 15 / 15	7022 5522 9522   4022 7522 6022 9522   7023 7023 9523
Nonverbal memory:	Recognition (Faces) Immediate Delayed Rey Complex Figure Test Immediate Delayed	38 / 48 39 / 48   26 / 36 27 / 36	5022 6022   7524 8024
Short-term memory:	Digit span (WAIS-RNI) Forward	5 / 9	525
Semantic memory	Verbal Fluency23 Animals	19 / -***	3026
Executive function:	Trails B Time in seconds Errors Digit span (WAIS-R NI) Backwards Verbal Fluency23 H F S Test of Preservation23	90 0   5 / 9   11 / -*** 10 / -*** 8  / -*** correct ***	1527 -   4025    2526 1826 826 -
Visuo-spatial and mental speed:	Rey Complex Figure Test Copy Time in seconds Trails A Time in seconds Errors Clock Drawing Test23 Numbers 11:10 Line Bisection Test23 Digit Symbol (WAIS-III) Number of correct symbols	36 / 36 240   22 0   correct** correct ** correct**   63/***	7524 8024   8027 -   - - -   2028

* Higher score indicates less orientation.

** Only given correct/wrong in this test.

*** Does not apply, highest score differ between individuals.

**** Due to lack of Icelandic norms for neuropsychological tests, foreign norms are used for all the tests, apart from Verbal fluency. Norms and further information for each test can be found in the references and their numbers are given in the table.