Definitions for "Post-traumatic amnesia"
A period of loss of memory following head trauma. The duration of PTA may correlate with the persistence of symptoms of brain tissue impairment.
The inability to remember continuous, day-to-day experiences or events that occur after the injury to the brain. The duration of PTA is the best measure of injury severity. PTA may last from minutes to months.
The period between the injury and regaining day-to-day memory so that the patient knows where he is, what happened to him, etc. The period of PTA always includes the period of coma. PTA duration is a good index of the severity of the underlying brain damage. Its significance is discussed in Appendix 4.