The term ‘functional’ amnesia has the problem that the amnesia could in many respects be considered dysfunctional. Also, it does not specify whether the memory loss is produced (partly or entirely) consciously (‘factitious’ or ‘exaggerated’ amnesia) or purely unconsciously (‘hysterical’ amnesia). We favour ‘psychogenic’ amnesia, because it points to underlying psychological processes without assuming that any particular psychological mechanism is involved (a difficulty with ‘dissociative’ amnesia). Others prefer ‘medically unexplained amnesia’. Some have argued strongly for ‘functional’ amnesia as a description more acceptable to patients ( Reference Stone, Carson and SharpeStone 2005). Unfortunately, the presence of amnesia may make it difficult to identify the stress until either informants have come forward or the amnesia itself has resolved.īoth DSM–IV ( American Psychiatric Association, 2000) and ICD–10 ( World Health Organization, 1992) favour the term ‘dissociative’ amnesia.
Each requires the exclusion of an underlying neurological cause and the identification of a precipitating stress that has resulted in amnesia.
A number of terms have been used to describe medically unexplained amnesia, including ‘hysterical’, ‘psychogenic’, ‘dissociative’ and ‘functional’.
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