Mental suffering Caught in the daily time loop for a good eleven years

Physicians of the English University of Leicester report a very special patient case. According to the scientists, a 39-year-old man who has been visiting a dentist 10 years ago believes that every day is just the date of the appointment. In addition, the mentally ill person can remember only about 90 minutes to the previously experienced. So far, the condition of the patient is a mystery. With the publication, the psychiatrists want to draw attention to the unique case.

English scientists hope for support from colleagues
Incredible, but (obviously) true: A 39-year-old man has been suffering from a previously unknown memory disorder since a root canal treatment by the dentist, which reminds him every morning that it is the day of the treatment. But that's not all, because in addition, the patient would forget everything that happened up to now even after 90 minutes.

Researchers at the University of Leicester in the UK are currently reporting on this enigmatic patient, who hope that the publication will allow them to contact experienced colleagues or other stakeholders. For the most extraordinary thing about the case of films like "Memento" or "And Every Day Greetings the Groundhog" reminds us that the man has neither physical symptoms nor abnormalities in the brain that could be the trigger of the disorder.

(Image: peshkova / fotolia.com)

Patient forgets everything after about 90 minutes
As Gerald Burgess and his colleagues report in the journal Neurocase: The Neural Basis of Cognition, the extraordinary story began ten years ago. The then 28-year-old patient had health problems following a root canal treatment performed under local anesthesia. He became pale, could not stand up by himself and had language difficulties, but the subsequent examination in the hospital did not reveal the causes. Instead, it soon became apparent that the patient not only had physical ailments, but also suffered from "anterograde amnesia," in which the memory of new contents of consciousness is extremely reduced. As a result, he forgot all experiences after about 90 minutes again. Also, new experiences or learned things disappeared for all time, provided that the patient had not become aware of them during this period.

Root canal treatment can not be held responsible
It also became clear to doctors after some time that the man apparently had the same day for ten years, researchers at the University of Leicester said. According to him, he was "aware of his identity, but every day he assumes that it is the day of his appointment as a dentist."

For the scientists a completely new phenomenon, which they can not explain so far. Even though a connection with root canal treatment or anesthesia can not be ruled out, according to experts, this is unlikely. "I do not believe that dentistry or root canal treatment can be held responsible. This would be unethical and possibly a baseless panic, because there is not enough evidence, "Dr. Burgess.

Accordingly, the researchers would now hope for support from experienced colleagues or contact with other stakeholders in order to solve the mystery of today's 38-year-old. One of our reasons for reporting on this individual case was that we have never seen anything like this in our clinical reports and we do not know what to think of it, "explains Drs. Burgess. "[...] However, since the article was published, web-based stories have inspired a few people to write me theories or stories about anesthetics and / or tooth extractions and subsequent memory difficulties. [...] I would be very grateful if others had stories or theories on this subject or anything else that could help move forward, "Dr. Burgess continues. (Sb)