AMNESIA: A STATISTICAL STUDY
MARK KANZER M. D.1
1 The Division of Psychiatry, Bellevue Hospital, New York City.
1. Seventy-one cases of hysterical amnesia are reviewed; 41 were male, 30 female; the age distribution showed that most cases occur in the third and fourth decades of life.
2. Marital rifts and unfortunate love affairs are the most frequently recurring factors in the past histories. Alcoholism and financial difficulties also play important roles. The various cases present characteristic features which are linked with the specific underlying problems.
3. Atypical cases of "hysterical amnesia" often appear to depend primarily on other than psychogenic factors, such as epilepsy, head injuries, etc.
4. The question of malingering is discussed and the typical features of the amnesic episode reviewed.
5. The frequency of headaches is emphasized and the significance of this complaint for a subsequent elaboration into false accusations is discussed.
The author wishes to express his appreciation to Dr. Karl M. Bowman for comments and suggestions concerning the preparation of this article.
