Woman With Super Memory Syndrome

Scientists at the University of California-Irvine have identified the first known case of a new, superior memory syndrome.

Researchers Elizabeth Parker, Larry Cahill and James McGaugh spent more than five years studying the case of “AJ,” a 40-year-old woman with incredibly strong memories of her personal past.

Given a date, AJ can recall with astonishing accuracy what she was doing on that date and what day of the week it was. Because her case is the first of its kind, the researchers have proposed a name for her syndrome — hyperthymestic syndrome — based on the Greek word thymesis for “remembering” and hyper, meaning “more than normal.”

McGaugh said AJ’s case differs from others with superior memory. Nearly all recorded cases involve people who used mnemonic devices to create associations among facts.

“What makes this young woman so remarkable is that she uses no mnemonic devices to help her remember things,” said McGaugh.