Anterograde Amnesia 50 First Dates

Anterograde amnesia is a disorder in which the patient is unable to produce new memories following the incident that caused the amnesia. While long-term memories from prior to the incident may remain, the person has difficulty recalling the immediate past. Diagnosis of anterograde amnesia is performed using a variety of tests, from imaging scans (such as MRI or CT) to blood tests (to detect whether there is infection, nutrient deficiencies) to electroencephalogram for detecting seizure activity. Physical exams (checking reflexes of the patient, sensory function) and cognitive tests are also performed, in which the patient’s short-term and long-term memory is checked. The memory evaluation is critical in determining the type of amnesia that the patient has suffered (Mayo Clinic, 2018). In the film 50 First Dates, the character of Lucy Whitmore played by Drew Barrymore suffers from what is essentially anterograde amnesia, though in the film it is given the fictitious name of Goldfield’s Syndrome. As the result of a boating accident, Lucy is unable to recall short-term memories and after going to sleep every night she wakes it believing it is still the day of the boating accident when she lost her ability to form new memories. The film takes some liberties with the amnesia symptoms and the way in which it displays itself, and the general concept is exploited for cinematic and plot purposes as the driver of the action of the romantic comedy. Nonetheless, 50 First Dates does represent anterograde amnesia sufficiently well enough that similarities between the real disorder and that depicted in the film can be identified.
While the causes of anterograde amnesia are typically related to drug use (such as benzodiazepine) or surgery (in which a portion of the brain responsible for memory formation is removed for emergency purposes), traumatic brain injury (TBI) and even emotional trauma can also be a cause for this disorder if the hippocampus or nearby cortices are damaged (Hurlemann, Hawellek, Matusch et al., 2005). In 50 First Dates, Lucy’s boating accident is responsible for her suffering a TBI and an emotional trauma, and thus the film accurately reflects the manner in which anterograde amnesia may be caused.
However, unlike in the film, anterograde amnesia is not something that “resets” at the end of each day, as is depicted in the film. Lucy’s amnesia is more of a cinematic conceit in this manner than it is a reflection of the symptoms of anterograde amnesia in real life. In real life, this form of amnesia is not expressed according to the time of day or with such clear cut rules. For example, Lucy wakes up believing that every day it is the day of the boating trip and her family plays along with this because in the past when they have told her the truth she has gotten upset as the truth triggers the painful realization that she has amnesia and is a burden on everyone—but then all of this is forgotten when she goes to sleep at the end of the day.
For example, Dewar, Sala, Beschin and Cowan (2010) show that some anterograde amnesia patients “have the capacity to retain new material for much longer than usual but that any new post-learning information profoundly interferes with such retention”—which means that so long as new information is not introduced to the patient in a way that it cancels out the previously learned information, the amnesiac can retain new memories for quite a while (p. 357). Indeed, minimizing the interference objects for a patient can actually help to boost short-term memory for days on end: Alber, Sala and Dewar (2014) found that “a short wakeful rest could boost memory retention in amnesic patients over a much longer period” (p. 667)—which is exactly the opposite of what is portrayed in the film. In 50 First Dates, sleep is the interfering object that causes Lucy to forget everything she learned the day before, causing her to revert back to all of her memories being of the last day before her accident. The research shows, however, that rest can actually help a patient to retain information longer. This is also a type of therapy that can be conducted to help improve the memory. In the film, Lucy is provided a video tape that helps her to remember who she is and what has happened to her since the day of her accident. This provides her with the therapeutic touch she needs to be more emotionally comfortable and secure with her situation. This personalized touch correlates with the reality of treatment for the disorder as there is no known cure that can solve the problem of anterograde amnesia, though there are techniques and therapeutic approaches that can help to strengthen the memory over time.
Memory training, the application of smart technology, and a strong support network are all tools that can be used to help the patient suffering from anterograde amnesia to recollect memories more efficiently (Mayo Clinic, 2018). The film accurately reflects some of these techniques in treating the disorder, as Lucy uses technology such as video film recordings and players to help remind her of events that have transpired since she lost her short-term memory ability. These become therapeutic over time for her as the end of the film shows, implying that her memory is improving though the film also suggests that they are far from a cure, as Lucy spends time at a brain research institute so that her condition can be better understood. This lack of medical knowledge on how to cure anterograde amnesia is reflective of the reality for as the Mayo Clinic (2018) points out there is still a lot that modern day medicine does not know about memory and how memory works.
In conclusion, though the film did accurately depict some symptoms of anterograde amnesia (loss of short-term memory formation ability), one of the causes of anterograde amnesia (traumatic brain injury and emotional trauma), and possible treatments for anterograde amnesia (strong support network and technological aids for cuing memory triggers to overcome interference barriers), it also embellished or fictionalized other aspects of the disorder—such as the concept that one’s short-term memory would work for the day so long as the person did not fall asleep, as sleep would “wipe clean” what the memory had stored up that day. This articulation of the disorder is more for the sake of plot device, giving the action a kind of Groundhog Day characteristic. In order to make the film more accurate, more struggle with retaining short-term memory throughout the day or week would have been appropriate instead of the all-clear till she falls asleep depiction. The reality of the disorder is that the ability to retain memory fluctuates and alters with respect to specific interference objects that differ from person to person.
The research that I conducted as well as the film that I watched have both changed the way I view the disorder: the film was helpful in introducing me to some of the concepts of anterograde amnesia and how it can be triggered by a traumatic experience. The research helped to clarify some of the concepts—such as how symptoms of the disorder appear and how treatment might be provided. In short, I view the film as partly accurate and as a good introduction to the disorder, though research on the disorder can help to give a more realistic depiction of the disorder, the limitations of medical science with respect to treating it, and what methods are available to help.

References
Alber, J., Della Sala, S., & Dewar, M. (2014). Minimizing interference with early
consolidation boosts 7-day retention in amnesic patients. Neuropsychology, 28(5), 667-675.
Dewar, M., Sala, S., Beschin, N. & Cowan, N. (2010). Profound retroactive interference
in anterograde amnesia: What interferes? Neuropsychology, 24(3), 357-367.
Hurlemann, R., Hawellek, B., Matusch, A., Kolsch, H., Wollersen, M. B., Vogeley, K.,
Maier, W. & Dolan, R. (2005). Noradrenergic modulation of emotion-induced forgetting and remembering. The Journal of Neuroscience, 25(27), 6343–6349. 
Mayo Clinic. (2018). Amnesia. Retrieved from
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/amnesia/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353366