Which type of amnesia specifically prevents the creation of new long-term memories?

Anterograde amnesia is characterized by an inability to form new long-term memories after the onset of the condition. This means that individuals with anterograde amnesia can remember events that occurred prior to the onset of their amnesia, but they struggle to create and retain new memories moving forward. This distinction is crucial in understanding how memory functions and the implications of memory loss.

In contrast, short-term amnesia pertains more to difficulties with retaining information in the short term, typically lasting only for seconds to a few minutes, and does not preclude the ability to form long-term memories. Retroactive amnesia relates to the inability to recall previously stored information due to interference from new information, while childhood amnesia refers to the inability of individuals to remember memories from early childhood. Therefore, anterograde amnesia specifically highlights the challenge of moving information into long-term storage, making it the correct response in this context.