AMNESIA FOLLOWING TRAUMATIC BILATERAL FORNIX TRANSECTION

There is controversy regarding the effect of isolated fornix damage on human memory. We report a patient who suffered a traumatic penetrating head injury that resulted in a significant and persistent anterograde amnesia. CT revealed a lesion that involved the region of the proximal, posterior portion of both fornices without evidence of damage to other hippocampal pathways or to other structures known to be critical for memory, such as the hippocampus, thalamus, or basal forebrain. The unique location of the lesion in this patient provides evidence supporting the role of isolated fornix lesions in amnesia.