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Brain, Vol. 118, No. 1, 167-181, 1995
© 1995 Oxford University Press

research-article

The ‘Petites Madeleines’ phenomenon in two amnesic patients

Sudden recovery of forgotten memories

Federica Lucchelli1,*, Silvia Muggia2 and Hans Spinnler2,

1Neurological Department, Ospedale S.Carlo Borromeo Milan, Italy 2Third Neurological Department of the University of Milan, Polo Didattico S. Paolo Milan, Italy

Correspondence to: Correspondence to: Professor Hans Spinnler, Third Neurological Department of the University, Ospedale S. Paolo alla Barona, via A. Starabba di Rudini, 8-20142 Milano, Italy

We report two cases of recovery from retrograde amnesia, which occurred almost suddenly, 1 year and 1 month from onset, respectively. Amnesia followed a left thalamic infarction in one patient and a mild head trauma in the other. Full and permanent recovery occurred within a short time after the spontaneous emergence to consciousness of a single autobiographical event, triggered by the specific experience of a very similar new event. Recovery was limited to retrograde amnesia, leaving unaffected the anterograde deficit present in one of the patients. The nature (psychogenic versus organic) of our patients' memory loss is commented upon in the light of a review of previously reported cases of retrograde amnesia. The transient defect of retrograde memory is discussed in terms of a reversible distortion of the neuronal ‘patterned matrices’ suggested by Gloor (Brain 1990; 113: 1673–94).

memory; retrograde amnesia; recovery from amnesia; thalamic infarction

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Received April 15, 1994. Revised July 25, 1994. Accepted September 29, 1994.

*Following our normal practice, authors are listed in alphabetical order


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