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Transient global amnesia (TGA), is an anxiety-producing temporary loss of the ability to form new long-term memories that usually resolves within 24 hours and most commonly affects the middle-aged or elderly.[1] During the episode affected people remained alert and communicative, with no disturbance in their knowledge of personal identity. Specific neurological problems, such as epilepsy, are not present and other more general cognitive abilities are unaffected. Worldwide, its incidence is between approximately 3 and 35 cases per 100,000 people per year.[2]
TGA is differentiated from stroke by the lack of tingling, peripheral limb involvement, speech impairment, and inability to walk. It is differentiated from subarachnoid hemorrhage from the lack of headache.[3] Other differential diagnoses are transient epileptic amnesia (TEA), and amnesic strokes.[4]
TGA does produce an inability to assimilate certain, generally current or recent, details while social skills and memories of distant past events or trivia is maintained.
The requirements for TGA include:[5]
The underlying cause of TGA is unclear. One current hypothesis is that TGA may be due to venous congestion of the brain,[6] leading to ischemia of structures involved with memory, such as the hippocampus.[7] This may be triggered by performing a Valsalva maneuver in the context of various precipitating events such as immersion in cold water, sexual activity, severe emotional stress and vigorous exertion.[8][9]
The prognosis of TGA is very good. It does not affect mortality and has a small recurrence rate.
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