Transient global amnesia: a complication of incremental exercise testing.
Incremental exercise testing is routinely used for diagnosis, rehabilitation, health screening, and research. We report the case of a 71-yr-old patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who suffered an episode of transient global amnesia (TGA) several minutes after successfully completing an incremental exercise test on a cycle ergometer. TGA, which is known to be precipitated by physical or emotional stress in about one-third of cases, is a transient neurological disorder in which memory impairment is the prominent deficit. TGA has a benign course and requires no treatment although 24-h observation is recommended. Recognition of TGA as a potential complication of incremental graded exercise testing is important to both aid diagnosis of the amnesia and to spare a patient unnecessary evaluation.
Richardson
R S
RS
Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, USA.
Leek
B T
BT
Wagner
P D
PD
Kritchevsky
M
M
D000368:Aged; D000647:Amnesia / Q000209:etiology*; D003221:Confusion / Q000209:etiology; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000150:complications; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications