A blankout or time skip is a brief episode of short-term memory loss that has been known to occur with individuals who have a neural colloid implant. First recorded in early 2049, blankouts tend to last only short periods of time and do not impact speech or functioning, leaving those affected in a disoriented state when the blankout passes as they are suddenly unable to recall their most recent actions. The effect has been commonly described as “skipping ahead in time.”
The underlying cause of blankouts is currently unknown. Early research has established a possible link with cases of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), which can briefly block the flow of blood in the brain, resulting in memory loss.
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Signs and symptoms
A blankout is identified by its main symptom, which is the brief and temporary inability to form new memories. People experiencing a blankout do not appear disoriented or confused until after it passes, when they are suddenly unable to remember the moments that were blanked out. Once a blankout has passed, people can once again form new memories and there are no further ill effects. [1]
While blankouts are considered harmless, they can cause emotional distress and have resulted in accidents and physical injuries, which generally occur when someone switches physical activities and then loses the memories of doing so. Documented examples include people thrown from their vehicles, falling down stairs or tripping over inclines, and dropping items they don’t remember picking up.
Diagnosis
There are currently no diagnostic criteria for blankouts. Most verified accounts of blankouts are based on the testimonies of those affected and accompanying witness reports. The condition was initially described as acute transient global amnesia (TGA), though this description has fallen out of favour. While TGA and blankouts both deal with disruptions of short-term memory, an episode of TGA generally lasts between two to eight hours, whereas a blankout passes within seconds or minutes of its onset. Additionally, TGA usually occurs in people between the ages of 50 and 70, whereas blankouts appear to affect all ages. [2]