Remembering without a past: Individuals with anterograde memory impairment talk about their lives

Abstract

This paper describes the linguistic resources people with anterograde amnesia draw on in conversational narratives. Because of their problems in recollecting post-morbid memories, it is particularly challenging for such individuals to refer to personal experiences. Seven patients with anterograde memory impairments due to neurotrauma were interviewed one year post-event. Among other topics, they were asked to talk about their new lives and selves, which was expected to be a precarious affair given that they did not have many or any autobiographical memories. Microanalyses of their narratives identified three readily available linguistic resources that participants used to facilitate their storytelling. These were categorized as “memory importation” (transplanting a past memory into the present), “memory appropriation” (taking another's memory as one's own), and “memory compensation” (searching for memories). It is argued that although these resources were not always efficiently used by participants and their use often violated conversational expectations, these linguistic techniques provided a helpful means to sustain the production of personal narratives, even in the absence of autobiographical memory.

Keywords:

• Amnesia
• autobiographical memory
• conversation
• narrative
• neurotrauma

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the participants for telling me about their lives. Also, warmest thanks to Jens Brockmeier. This study was supported by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research/Canadian Neurotrauma Research Program (JPF-50718).