Sex Causing Amnesia? Information About Transient Global Amnesia

Robert was out in his garden working, as he did most mornings, pulling weeds and watering. Later, after he had come into the house, his wife found him sitting at the kitchen table. He recognized her, but had no recollection of what he had done that morning. He seemed confused. She immediately put him in the car and drove him to the emergency room, and as she drove, he repeated asked her where they were going.

What happened to Robert was not a stroke. He was questioned about any accident or other trauma he may have experienced, but there was none. His MRI and CAT scan both were normal, as was his exam. He was diagnosed as having Transient Global Amnesia, or as it is more commonly known, TGA.

Transient Global Amnesia has been a well-described phenomenon for more than forty years. The incidence in the United States, based on a study conducted in Rochester, Minnesota, is 5.2 cases for every 100,000 people. However, over the age of fifty, the incidence of occurrence was 23.5 per 100,000.

Transient Global Amnesia usually occurs suddenly without the trauma of normal amnesia. Victims have no recollection of recent memories and lose the ability to form new memories. They may be anxious or agitated. They are disoriented as to time or place. They will know their family members, but will not remember activities they may have participated in earlier that day. They have a hard time forming new memories, and this is one reason why they continue to seem disoriented and ask the same questions repeatedly. Sixty to ninety percent of victims exhibit repetitive questioning, such as "Where am I?" This will last for the duration of the attack.

As the name implies, Transient Global Amnesia, or TGA, is transient. In other words, it usually goes away on it's own without treatment. The average affected time is one to eight hours, but it can last up to a full day. The average time is 4.2 hours. When it resolves, the victim will feel fine, but will have no memory of the time when the amnesia was present. It is not linked to dementia or Alzheimer's.

Dr. Nancy Snyderman describes it this way, "You can get over it. It doesn't stay with you. It doesn't seem to be a precursor to having strokes later or any other kind of dementia. It comes, it stays for a while, it leaves. You can do repetitive actions. You just won't remember where you are or what you are doing. You may never have another episode again. Rule out stroke. Rule out other problems, but this can be a stand-alone event."

Researchers don't know the cause of TGA. For some reason, blood flow to specific brain areas that involve memory appear to be disrupted temporarily during TGA. In some cases, victims reported a stressful event or physical exertion prior to the TGA occurring. It has no higher incidence according to race or sex. However, TGA does seem to occur more often in men who have had some prior physical stressor, such as physical exertion, sexual intercourse, or cold-water exposure. Women seem to have more mental or emotional events reported, such as a period of overwhelming emotional stress, pain, or anxiety.

Morris Bender in the Journal of the Hillside Hospital described the syndrome of Transient Global Amnesia initially in 1956. Fisher and Adams later wrote extensively about TGA in Acta Neurologica Scandinavica in 1964. Since that time, it has become a well-known syndrome. Once a person has had an episode of Transient Global Amnesia, he or she has a one in four chance of reoccurrence. Less than 3% have had three or more attacks.

Miranda White describes her experience with TGA and a family member:

"A little while ago, my father and grandfather were driving in our car together. All of a sudden, my grandfather said that he was feeling dizzy and thought the beginnings of a migraine were coming on. My grandfather is extremely healthy and has an amazing memory, so my father was shocked when not long after, when grandfather asked where Ruthy, his recently deceased wife, was. When my father reminded him that she had died of cancer last year, my grandfather broke into tears, as if he was being told for the first time. In addition, he couldn't even remember what he had just eaten for dinner or any other events of the day. My father drove him straight to the emergency room, worried that he had perhaps just suffered a minor stoke. By the time that he got to the hospital, he was already beginning to regain some of the memories that had been lost. The doctors reassured him that it was not a stroke, but rather a memory disorder called transient global amnesia. "

Risk factors that have been linked to TGA are age and a family history of migraine headaches. People between the ages of 56 and 75 have the highest risk of TGA, and although it can occur in younger adults, it rarely occurs in children. If you have migraines, the risk of TGA appears to be stronger than someone without migraines. This link seems to be strongest before age 56.

If someone you know is exhibiting these symptoms, you should call for an ambulance immediately. It may be difficult to differentiate the symptoms of TGA from a stroke or seizure. Only a medical professional can make that decision. If your loved one experiences Transient Global Amnesia, the best thing you can do after getting medical attention is just to be calm and reassuring. Try to prevent any additional emotional stress and reassure the person that this will pass with no lasting effects.