Originally published in 1993, this book provides the clinician, researcher and student with a comprehensive account of the neuropsychology of the amnesic syndrome. The opening chapter places the amnesic syndrome within the overall context of memory disorders and provides a theoretical basis for understanding the presentation of the clinical and experimental findings which form the major part of the work. The second chapter provides an extensive account of the various methods used to assess memory and associated deficits and provides guidelines as to the most effective assessment strategy.

The next five chapters are concerned with the specific aetiologies giving rise to the amnesic syndrome: Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome; Thalamic Amnesia; Medial Temporal Lobe Amnesia; Herpes Simplex Encephalitis; and ruptured aneurysms of the anterior communicating artery. Each of these chapters contains an account of the associated neuropathology, descriptions of experimental findings and illustrative case histories from the authors’ own experimental and clinical experience.

The next chapter provides the reader with an account of some of the more important scientific issues that have arisen from the studies of the amnesic syndrome and a final chapter considers current and future prospects for behavioural remediation of severe memory deficit.