Amnesia manifests in different ways. Typically, patients forget details of past events that occurred in their lives, are unable to recall information they learned in the past, or are unable to learn and recall new information. The extent of memory loss depends on the nature and severity of the injury or trauma that triggered the amnesia. In some cases, amnesia may also impair the patient’s ability to learn new information. Some patients may be aware of their memory loss and try to account for it or lie about periods of time they cannot recall.

In some cases amnesia comes on slowly, whereas in others it appears suddenly. Symptoms of amnesia may be temporary or permanent.