Epilepsy
Memory issues are frequently reported by individuals with epilepsy. Individuals with epilepsy have a higher risk of having difficulty creating and keeping memories, processing information, and retrieving information. The most typical memory issue caused by epilepsy is short-term, prospective, and recent memory. Long-term memory loss is a less frequent side effect of epilepsy.
There are various reasons why epilepsy causes short-term memory loss and other memory impairments. For instance, epilepsy causes seizures that can sometimes lead to unconsciousness, making a person unable to create new memories. And even those who are conscious while having a seizure, they will be unable to remember anything or won’t really be able to focus on their surroundings.
A person may not be able to make new memories while having a seizure when the seizure occurs within the hippocampus, the area of the brain that aids in the creation of fresh memories. Unusual activity in the brain between seizures can interfere with memory formation and thinking.
This condition, also known as postictal confusion, typically fades away when recovering. How long it requires for the memory to come back varies for each person.
