title: Time of flight MR angiography assessment casts doubt on the association between transient global amnesia and intracranial jugular venous reflux.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evidence of intracranial venous reflux flow due to jugular venous reflux (JVR) on time of flight (TOF) MR angiography (MRA) is thought to be highly associated with transient global amnesia (TGA)-evidence that supports the venous congestion theory of TGA pathophysiology. However, recent studies indicate that intracranial JVR on TOF MRA is occasionally observed in normal elderly. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of intracranial JVR on TOF MRA in patients with TGA and two control groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three age- and sex-matched groups of subjects that received MRI and MRA were enrolled. The groups comprised 167 patients with TGA, 167 visitors to the emergency room (ER) and 167 visitors to a health promotion centre (HPC). Intracranial JVR was defined as abnormal venous signals in the inferior petrosal, sigmoid and/or transverse sinuses on TOF MRA. The prevalence of intracranial JVR was assessed across the three groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intracranial JVR was seen in seven (4.2 %) TGA patients, eight (4.8 %) ER visitors and three (1.8 %) HPC visitors, respectively. No statistically significant differences were observed among the three groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TGA patients showed a low prevalence of intracranial JVR on TOF MRA, and no statistical differences were found in comparison with control groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, 166 Gumi-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 463-707, Korea.
authors.forename: Yeonah
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Eunhee
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae Hyoung
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Byung Se
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Cheolkyu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Yun Jung
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Kyung Mi
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dong Hoon
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020236:Amnesia, Transient Global / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D003287:Contrast Media; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007601:Jugular Veins / Q000502:physiology*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009942:Organometallic Compounds
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C090600:gadobutrol