Overview
Clive Wearing, suffering from the most severe known case of amnesia, is unable to form new memories and lives continuously in the present moment, with memory spans sometimes as short as a few seconds.
Nature and Extent of Clive Wearing's Amnesia
- Clive Wearing has experienced profound memory loss for 20 years, retaining less than 30 seconds of memory at any time.
- Sometimes his memory span is only a single sentence, or as little as seven seconds.
- He retains the ability to recognize his wife, Deborah, but not much else.
- He cannot remember conversations or questions posed to him moments before.
Examples of Memory Difficulties
- Clive cannot recall details about family events, such as his sister Adele's daughter's wedding in New Zealand.
- He struggles to remember ongoing conversations, quickly forgetting the topic or previous questions.
- He is unable to guess or recall current activities or whereabouts of his children.
Subjective Experience and Emotional Impact
- Clive describes his life as “like death,” with no sense of having seen anyone or had any thoughts or dreams.
- He reports a continuous void, with his brain feeling totally inactive both day and night.
- He expresses frustration with his medical care, feeling he has never truly interacted with doctors.
Relationship and Recognition
- Despite his condition, Clive consistently recognizes his wife and responds affectionately to her presence.
- Recognizing his wife is the only reliable aspect of his memory.
Consequences and Observations
- Clive's inability to form new memories leads to ongoing confusion and disorientation in daily life.
- He provides responses to questions but forgets the original subject mid-conversation, highlighting the severity of his amnesia.