I opened my social media recently and was greeted by a picture of my high school English teacher having an EEG to monitor the electrical activity of his brain. The man who found every dangling participle in my senior year essays reported they were trying to unravel the mystery of an episode of short term memory loss. The diagnosis was transient global amnesia or TGA.
If you are like me, that diagnosis might still be a mystery. According to the Mayo Clinic, TGA is an episode of confusion that comes on suddenly in a person who is otherwise alert. This confused state isn't caused by a more common neurological condition, such as epilepsy or stroke. The Cleveland Clinic notes the person experiencing TGA also doesn’t display symptoms of dementia. They can remember who they are, as well as who friends and family are. They retain their language and social interaction skills. They just can’t form new memories during the episode so they will ask repetitive questions about where they are. This memory loss resolves within 24 hours.
While no one is sure what causes TGA, it is often precipitated by particularly strenuous activity or high-stress events. According to the National Institutes of Health, some have suggested risk factors may be a history of migraines, high cholesterol, or heart disease. While the TGA condition is harmless, the symptoms are alarming and should be investigated by seeking immediate medical care to be sure there’s not a more serious underlying cause.
Resources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/transient-global-amnesia/symptoms-causes/syc-20378531
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21028-transient-global-amnesia
