Amnesia and Memory Loss, Helping to Remember

Amnesia occurs when the portion of the brain responsible for retrieving stored memories is somehow compromised. This region of the brain is known as the limbic system; it comprises the hippocampus, the amygdala, and portions of the cortex. Besides retrieving memory, the limbic system is responsible for coordination of emotion and motivation and for some of the functions of the endocrine system.

People are amnesiac when the memory retrieval portion of the limbic system isn’t working properly but there is otherwise no change in language, attention span, visual/spatial functioning, or motivation.

Memories are not actually stored in the limbic system or the hippocampus. Rather, several areas of the brain are involved in memory; the type of information being assimilated determines where it is stored. For example, visual and auditory patterns are stored in the temporal lobe, whereas the parietal lobe stores language, speech, word usage, and comprehension.