Transient global amnesia -- not always a benign process.
OBJECTIVE
Transient global amnesia (TGA) is an episodic dysfunction of declarative memory, which is assumed to be a benign disorder. Brain perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was shown to be abnormal during the acute stage and to become normal with normalization of memory function. No data are known about the brain perfusion pattern among these patients with recurrent TGA.


METHODS
Sixteen patients with TGA were studied with an initial brain imaging during the acute stages of their attack, and a second imaging was performed after 3 months. In the event of a patients having a second abnormal brain perfusion HMPAO SPECT, a third imaging was performed after 1 year.


RESULTS
Hypofusion perfusion was demonstrated in all cases during the acute stage. In all patients who had a first TGA, a normal SPECT was demonstrated after 3 months. In three patients with recurrent TGA, the brain perfusion remained abnormal after 3 months and after 1 year.


CONCLUSIONS
A normal perfusion in TGA after 3 months can be expected in a patient with a first attack. In patients with recurrent TGA attacks, a persistent focal hypoperfusion can be expected. This subgroup of patients may demonstrate a non-benign type of TGA, eventually due to a different etiology of event.
Lampl
Y
Y
Department of Neurology, Edith Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel. y_lampl@hotmail.com
Sadeh
M
M
Lorberboym
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D020236:Amnesia, Transient Global / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012008:Recurrence; D013997:Time Factors; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon