Transient amnesia

A person in a state of TGA exhibits no other signs of impaired cognitive functioning but recalls only the last few moments of consciousness, as well as possibly a few deeply encoded facts of the individual s past, such as their childhoo family, or home perhaps. Strenuous physical activity. Medical procedures, such as angiography or endoscopy. See all full list on rarediseases. It usually happens in people who are middle-aged or elderly.

The disorder is relatively rare, occurring in about 23. During a TGA episode, a person cannot form new memories and has difficulty recalling recent memories. You may not be able to remember information or experiences from the recent past, or remember new information. For example, you may not know where you are or how you got there.

Clinically, it manifests with a paroxysmal, transient loss of memory function. Although patients may be disoriente not know where they are or be confused about time, they are otherwise alert, attentive and have normal thinking abilities. What is temporary amnesia called? How long does transient global amnesia last?

The person isn’t able to create new memories and they have trouble remembering things from the recent past. The rest of the cognitive functions (consciousness, personal identity, attention…) remain intact. If you need reassurance, ask your doctor to go over the of your neurological exam and diagnostic tests with you.

Transient Global Amnesia Amnesia. The etiology of TGA remains obscure. Anterograde and partial retrograde amnesia lasting less than hours without. Although the etiology is unknown, the prognosis usually benign, and no particular treatment is require it is important for all involved clinicians to recognize the diagnosis and possess knowledge about the evaluation of these affected patients. History of a migraine, stroke and epilepsy.

Recent sexual activity. Psychological disturbances. The sudden change of temperature. Diagnosis of transient global amnesia is primarily clinical. Patients often present after a triggering event.

After the attack there is permanent memory loss for the period of the attack. It is a temporary lapse in memory that can never be retrieved. Without warning, the patient suddenly experiences antegrade memory loss.

As quickly as the amnesic syndrome appears, it resolves, usually within hours. There are no apparent long-term sequelae, and recurrence is uncommon. It is associated with retrograde amnesia and repetitive questioning.

During the attack patients remain conscious and communicative and personal identity is preserved. Compared to TGA, episodes of TEA are typically briefer (h), commonly occur on waking, have a high recurrence rate and may be accompanied by other features suggestive of epilepsy such as automatisms or olfactory hallucinations. Many TEA patients report interictal memory problems, with evidence of accelerated long-term forgetting and remote memory impairment.

In his intriguing hypothesis on the pathophysiology of transient global amnesia , Steven Lewis (Aug p 397)suggests that a Valsalva manoeuvre may be a common triggering event among patients with this syndrome.