As source amnesia prohibits recollection of the context specific information surrounding facts in experienced events, there is also the inclusive case of confusion concerning the content or context of events, a highly attributable factor to confabulation in brain disease. Such confusion has been loosely termed memory distrust syndrome by Gudjonsson and MacKeith in 1982. A person who suffers from memory distrust syndrome may distrust his own memory and be motivated to rely on external (non-self) sources.
The overwhelming propensity to accept information from external sources (i.e. an interrogator) based on the influence of susceptibility has led to well documented false confessions. In addition, the credibility of a witness account who suffers from memory distrust syndrome is more questionable. In a parallel situation, amnesic individuals may have a greater propensity to have their memory manipulated and perhaps perform non-advantageous acts on the "direction" of external sources and have difficulty in differentiating imaginary and real experiences, as reviewed by Harvard University student and researcher Shaheen Lakhan[1]. Since it is an identified and natural occurrence that source amnesia pathology exists in the criminal law system, psychiatrists should increasing perform assessment and identification measures to isolate such a disorder on accused individuals and eye-witnesses.
