Admitted urgently to the Kremlin-Bicêtre hospital, in Paris, following the accident he caused on February 10, 2023, Pierre Palmade is finally out of trouble and his life is no longer in danger. The opportunity for investigators to be able to question him regarding the tragedy. However, according to an article published on The Parisian, Pierre Palmade might suffer from amnesia. Indeed, he would have told a visitor who came to see him at the hospital “no longer remember the circumstances of the accident.”
Amnesic stroke or post-traumatic shock: the two cases identified by the neurologist
According to Dr. George Retali, neurologist and head of the neurology unit at the Bastia Hospital Center, two cases of amnesia seems possible in the case of Pierre Palmade. “He might very well have had an amnesic stroke because of the drug”, indicates the specialist with Medisite. This benign form of amnesia is characterized by a sudden loss of memory concerning the events which precede and often those which follow the onset of the amnesic episode.
“This amnesic stroke may have occurred following the excessive ingestion of alcohol or the use of several illicit drugs. Intense fatigue can also be the cause”, adds the neurologist. “But, whatever the causes, he won’t be able to remember the facts.”
As a reminder, this transient amnesia can persist for up to 24 hours, but “it generally lasts 4 to 6 hours. The amnesic stroke rarely exceeds 8 hours”says the neurologist.
In the event of post-traumatic shock, it is impossible to know when his memory will return, says Dr. George Retali.
“The post-traumatic shock caused by the accident might also be the cause of the amnesia at Pierre Palmade,” suggests Dr. George Retali. Indeed, “post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that occur following a traumatic event”indicates on its Inserm website.
In this case, the comedian might regain his memory. “But it depends on a lot of factors. It’s impossible to know when his memory will return.”ends the specialist.
As a reminder, the 54-year-old comedian is being prosecuted for “homicide and involuntary injuries per driver resulting in total incapacity for work of more than three months.” Indeed, Pierre Palmade caused a road accident while under the influence of cocaine February 10, 2023. In the car opposite were three people: a six-month pregnant woman, who eventually lost her child, a 40-year-old man and his son, who is still in a coma.
What is amnesia?
Amnesia is “a partial or total loss of the ability to remember experiences or events that occurred within the last few seconds, days, or later in time, or following the event that caused the amnesia,” explains the MSD Manual on its site.
In other words, when you suffer from amnesia, you are unable, partially or totally, to remember past experiences or even store new memories following the event that caused it.
Amnesia: how does this trauma appear?
Nowadays, the causes of amnesia are not fully understood. However, it is possible to identify some of them. Among them are:
- Nutritional disordersespecially thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency, which can cause Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome;
- Head trauma that affects the brain;
- Disorders that reduce blood supply or nutrients to the brain (including stroke and cardiac arrest);
- THE convulsions ;
- brain infection (encephalitis);
- Madnesssuch as Alzheimer’s disease;
- Chronic alcohol abuse ;
- A brain tumor ;
- And severe mental stress (as in the case of dissociative amnesia);
- Taking certain medications (such as certain antidepressants, muscle relaxants or opioids, as well as amphotericin B or lithium);
- The taking of certain drugs (cocaine).
Furthermore, “depending on the cause of the amnesia, it can be temporaryas in the case of a head injury, permanent and unchangingfollowing a stroke for example, or progressivewhen you have Alzheimer’s disease”, recalls the MSD Manual on its site.
