From newer films, like the romantic comedy, 50 First Dates, to classics like Goldie Hawn's Overboard, amnesia has a starring role in Hollywood. But what is amnesia about off-screen? Amnesia is a catch-all term for the loss or disruption of a person's memory. The most common type of amnesia, organic amnesia, occurs when the brain is damaged or injured. Organic amnesia can be the result of a head injury, like that sustained in a car accident. But usually, the memory difficulties following a head injury are temporary, and do not result in long-term amnesia. Instead, lasting organic amnesia is more often the result of medical brain damage. Common causes of organic amnesia include: lack of adequate oxygen to the brain, brain inflammation following an infection, and tumors in the areas of the brain that control memory. There are two types of organic amnesia: retrograde and anterograde. Retrograde amnesia is the impaired ability to remember past events and information. This is what Goldie Hawn experiences in Overboard, when her character falls off a yacht and forgets who she is. anterograde amnesia, meanwhile, is the inability to learn and remember new information after the onset of amnesia. This is what's depicted in 50 First Dates, where Drew Barrymore's character can't remember anything after a car accident. Although less popular in media, anterograde amnesia is much more prominent in real life than retrograde amnesia. It makes sense that amnesia can cause a great deal of hardship, and may lead a person to become depressed or anxious. Because of this, people with any amnesia-like symptoms should make an immediate appointment with a physician, who will need to rule out other conditions that cause memory-loss, like Alzheimer's disease. Once organic amnesia is diagnosed, treatment focuses on techniques and strategies to make up for the memory loss. This may include occupational therapy to help replace missing skills, as well as memory training, which involves learning to organize information so that it's easier to remember. While there is no medication approved to treat organic amnesia, some people benefit from anti-depressants or anti-anxiety drugs if depression or anxieties are present along with memory loss. Remember: seek medical assistance immediately if you or a loved one experiences abnormal memory loss!