Severe anterograde amnesia in the era of smartphone technology

A.V. is a young Herpes simplex Encephalitis (HSE) survivor with extensive bilateral damage to the medial temporal lobe (MTL) and one of the most severe forms of anterograde amnesia on record. In spite of the demonstrable deficit, A.V. regained a much higher degree of functioning and autonomy than previously-documented amnesic patients with major bilateral MTL damage. The distinguishing feature of A.V.’s adaptation and his advantage as a millennial, is that he is able to offload onto his smartphone those cognitive tasks that were previously supported by the MTL, as evidenced by our analysis of app usage.The topography of A.V.’s brain injury combined with purity of the ensuing amnesia represent unique neuropsychological conditions that can advance the scientific study of human memory systems. A.V.’s relative success in coping with profound amnesia further offers unique insight into the potential of smartphone technology to become integrated with neural mnemonic functions, a phenomenon that has broad implications at the societal level and for public health, specifically in the management of memory disorders like Alzheimer’s disease.