What type of amnesia refers to the inability to recall events that occurred before a traumatic event?

The term that refers to the inability to recall events that occurred before a traumatic event is known as retrograde amnesia. This type of amnesia specifically impacts memories that were formed prior to the incident that caused the amnesia, which can be trauma, injury, or psychological stress. Individuals with retrograde amnesia may lose memories for a specific period leading up to the trauma or even further back, depending on the severity of the condition.

This differs from other types of amnesia: anterograde amnesia, for instance, is characterized by the inability to form new memories after the onset of amnesia, affecting the individual's ability to retain new information. Long-term amnesia is a more general term and is not typically used in clinical descriptions as specifically as retrograde amnesia. Infantile amnesia refers to the general lack of memory for events that occurred in early childhood, specifically before the age of 3 or 4, and does not relate directly to traumatic incidents.