What is the difference between short term memory, long term memory and post traumatic amnesia?
In general, most neuropsychologists define short term memory as an individual’s ability to remember information over the course of a few hours or across a day or week after a TBI. For example, the ability to recall what you did this morning is an example of short term memory. Long term memory is generally reserved for recall of events that occurred prior to the injury. Remembering an incident from childhood is an example of a long term memory for an individual injured in their 30s. Post traumatic amnesia is the period of time that the individual is unable to recall events following the injury. For example, some individuals may not recall the events of the day their injury occurred or being in the hospital for the next month after the injury. Post traumatic amnesia is then estimated to be about 30 days long.
