How Do You Diagnose Transient Global Amnesia?
Transient global amnesia is a sudden, temporary loss of memory of recently occurring events. Immediate and remote recall is preserved, but the patient’s ability to retain new information is impaired. Transient global amnesia typically resolves within 24 hours but the patient still may have no memory of events during the attack. The following steps will show how to diagnose transient global amnesia. Look for a trigger involving increased blood flow to the superior vena cava. This can include any physical or emotional stress, especially cold-water exposure, pain, sexual intercourse and Valsalva maneuver. Investigate the patient’s drug history. Hypnotics, sleep medication in conjunction with a flight across time zones and midazolam may cause symptoms similar to transient global amnesia. Excess alcohol can cause a blackout. Differentiate transient global amnesia from other similar conditions. A transient global amnesia diagnosis should be questioned if focal or lateralizing findings are di
