Case study
Evaluation of autobiographical memory in a patient declaring its total loss - a case study

In the paper, a 45-year old female patient declaring the total loss of autobiographic memory following brain stroke in 2003 has been described. Memory disturbances are characteristic of retrograde amnesia: they comprise total life period before 2003, and the memory of events occurring after 2003 has been retained. Psychological tests and experiments revealed a deficit of autobiographical memory, however, not the total one. The number of correct answers of patient for visual and verbal material was higher when concerning the period after 2003, however, her answers to questions for events before 2003 were also better than random. She showed disposition to valuing her personal events occurring after 2003 only in a positive way. Also, the effect of personality factors on presented symptoms was observed. The results of the study indicate that different factors may contribute to the memory disturbances in this patient, such as organic factors - brain stroke, cognitive factors - suppression mechanism with intentional element, and defense mechanisms of personality (denial and dissociation).