Two Cases of Functional Focal Retrograde Amnesia with Impairment of Object Use

We report on two patients, TH and KN, with focal retrograde amnesia (FRA). Their memory loss regarding life events extended to their whole lives, whereas they could acquire and retain new information. They also showed prominent deficits in production and comprehension of common words. In addition, at least in the testing situation, they were impaired in their recognition and use of familiar objects. Although both cases of FRA followed an episode that can cause brain pathology, MRI revealed no structural abnormality in either patient. Stressful situations preceding the onset were evident in KN, but not in TH. We discuss their impairments of object knowledge from a neuropsychological perspective, and we interpret the etiology of their condition as a functional rather than a psychogenic amnesia.