SDAM (Severely Deficient Autobiographical Memory)

Severely Deficient Autobiographical Memory (SDAM) refers to a specific impairment of episodic memory for personal experiences. People with SDAM cannot vividly remember their own experiences; they know what happened but cannot mentally "relive" it. SDAM frequently overlaps with aphantasia, as both impair the ability for mental time travel. Approximately 80% of people with SDAM also have aphantasia. Nevertheless, they are separate phenomena: not all aphantasics have SDAM and vice versa. SDAM was researched by Brian Levine at the University of Toronto. Affected individuals often have intact factual memories and semantic memory. The effects on daily life vary; many compensate through photographs, diaries, and external memory aids.