Cognitive findings after transient global amnesia: role of prefrontal cortex.
The aim of this study is to verify, after recovery, the presence of specific patterns of cognitive dysfunctions in Transient Global Amnesia (TGA). Fourteen patients with the diagnosis of TGA were submitted to a battery of neuropsychological tests and compared to a matched control group. We found significant qualitative and quantitative differences between TGA patients and controls in the California Verbal Learning Test (CLVT) and Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test. Our data support the presence of selective cognitive dysfunctions after the clinical recovery. Moreover, for Verbal Fluency, Digit Span Backward, and Number of Clusters in the CVLT short-term memory test, the relation resulted as positively related with the temporal interval from the TGA episode. Reduction of categorical learning, attention, and qualitative alterations of spatial strategy seem to postulate a planning defect due to a prefrontal impairment.
Le Pira
Francesco
F
Department of Neurosciences, University of Catania, Italy. lepira@unict.it
Giuffrida
Salvatore
S
Maci
Tiziana
T
Reggio
Ester
E
Zappalà
Giuseppe
G
Perciavalle
Vincenzo
V
D000368:Aged; D020236:Amnesia, Transient Global / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D001288:Attention; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D014706:Verbal Learning