RE: amnesia question(s)

[Rick Froman]

The interesting question to me in watching the episode is the degree to which a person would continue to experience the symptoms of OCD and continue to have a proclivity to do tasks similar to what was done before the amnesia (working to solve crimes, etc.) while in the fugue state. Of course, in this case, the blow to the head brought on this state, which is unlikely. The writers obviously took liberties for dramatic and comedic effect but it did make me wonder about those issues. If a person is in a fugue state, would they continue to experience OCD and would they continue to perform behaviors associated with their pre-fugue occupation?   Rick     Dr. Rick Froman Professor of Psychology John Brown University 2000 W. University Siloam Springs, AR  72761 [EMAIL PROTECTED] (479) 524-7295 http://www.jbu.edu/academics/sbs/faculty/rfroman.asp From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, January 23, 2006 2:35 PM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences Subject: Re: amnesia question(s)   In a message dated 1/23/06 2:15:27 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: In the episode he receives as severe blow to the head and is tossed in the back >of a flatbed truck (already a gross inaccuracy because the driver did not check >his load before getting in the cab and pulling away...but that's not psychology >stuff). > >So eventually the truck stops, Monk wakes up in another town and he doesn't know >who is he. His semantic memory is perfect but his episodic memory is not; >although he does still have OCD behaviors, but when questionned about them >makes up excuses. In one scene he separates all his food into separeate piles >and when asked why he is doing that he says it's a religious ritual. Anyway, >that aside, how does the course of amnesia usually go? > >Also, at one point, back at the office, his psychiatrist is consulting with the >police on Monk missing status in his usual life and says he would be having a >dissociative episode. Now that sounds totally wrong to me. Right? What they seem to be describing is a fugue state, which is a dissociative disorder.  On TV, it's usually attributed to head trauma, but from a psychiatric point of view, it's usually a response to a psychological trauma.  In such a conditon, he would have loss of episodic memory but usually not declarative or skill memory.   Riki Koenigsberg [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: archive@jab.org To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]