Causes of Memory Loss in Adolescents

Teenagers are stuck between adulthood and childhood. Full of life and vigor, sometimes they make mature decisions, while other times they act childish and "goof off." A common phrase heard is "You don't treat me like an adult!" and the common parent reply is: "Act like one and I'll treat you like one!" A certain amount of being scatter-brained is expected, but severe memory loss is not. This may be an indication of deeper problems, and should be medically investigated.

Substance Abuse

• Memory loss is a common symptom of narcotics usage. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, the drugs GHB and GBL, called the "date rape" drugs, cause severe memory loss. Doctor Joshua Gulley of the University of Illinois states that amphetamines cause memory loss. The list of narcotics that cause memory loss is a mile long, with many readily available on the black market. Other common substances are alcohol, marijuana, meth, crack, LSD and ecstasy.

Brain Tumors

• Brain tumors cause memory loss if the tumor is located in the area of the brain that controls memory. According to the neurological service at the Massachusetts General Hospital, brain tumors may be hard to diagnose, since symptoms, such as general mood changes, memory loss or loss of coordination, may be encompassed in an overall group. Some other signs may be hearing loss or vision loss.

Brain Trauma

• Trauma to the brain causes memory loss. A common type is amnesia, caused by blunt-force trauma to the head and skull. This may take different forms, depending on the location and extent of the injury. For example, recent events may be forgotten, but not past events. Conversely, all past events may have been erased.

Event Trauma

• It is a human defense mechanism to block out severe stress events, causing memory loss. The University of Michigan states that psychological trauma is one of the causes of amnesia.

Encephalitis

• Encephalitis is the swelling of the brain and its covering caused by pathogens. Several bacteria and viruses attack the brain, causing permanent brain damage. The long-term outcomes of brain diseases are manyfold, with memory loss as one of them. Montana State University ran studies of long-term difficulties, finding that many victims of encephalitis had reduced brain functioning due to having contracted the West Nile virus. Early symptoms include fever, loss of coordination, disorientation and fatigue. Anybody can contract encephalitis, not just teenagers.