Abstract
While absence attacks and complex partial seizures have been well documented in patients with epilepsy, the delineation of pure episodes of memory loss without additional clinical manifestations remains poorly characterised. The recently described condition of transient epileptic amnesia (TEA) is critically examined, and four new cases are described, in each of which there were episodes of pure memory loss which subsequently proved to be epileptic in origin. The anatomical and pathophysiological basis of TEA is presumed to be similar to transient global amnesia (TGA), that is, it is likely to be primarily hippocampal in origin, but with more variable involvement of limbic and adjacent temporal lobe neocortical structures.
Full text
PDF






Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Andermann F., Robb J. P. Absence status. A reappraisal following review of thirty-eight patients. Epilepsia. 1972 Jan;13(1):177–187. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1972.tb04565.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Binnie C. D., Kasteleijn-Nolst Trenité D. G., Smit A. M., Wilkins A. J. Interactions of epileptiform EEG discharges and cognition. Epilepsy Res. 1987 Jul;1(4):239–245. doi: 10.1016/0920-1211(87)90031-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Bridgman P. A., Malamut B. L., Sperling M. R., Saykin A. J., O'Connor M. J. Memory during subclinical hippocampal seizures. Neurology. 1989 Jun;39(6):853–856. doi: 10.1212/wnl.39.6.853. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Croft P. B., Heathfield K. W., Swash M. Differential diagnosis of transient amnesia. Br Med J. 1973 Dec 8;4(5892):593–596. doi: 10.1136/bmj.4.5892.593. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Damasio A. R., Graff-Radford N. R., Damasio H. Transient partial amnesia. Arch Neurol. 1983 Oct;40(10):656–657. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1983.04050090092018. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Fisher C. M. Transient global amnesia. Precipitating activities and other observations. Arch Neurol. 1982 Oct;39(10):605–608. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1982.00510220003001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Gallassi R., Morreale A., Lorusso S., Pazzaglia P., Lugaresi E. Epilepsy presenting as memory disturbances. Epilepsia. 1988 Sep-Oct;29(5):624–629. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1988.tb03772.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Guidotti M., Anzalone N., Morabito A., Landi G. A case-control study of transient global amnesia. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1989 Mar;52(3):320–323. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.52.3.320. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hodges J. R., Oxbury S. M. Persistent memory impairment following transient global amnesia. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 1990 Dec;12(6):904–920. doi: 10.1080/01688639008401030. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hodges J. R., Warlow C. P. Syndromes of transient amnesia: towards a classification. A study of 153 cases. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1990 Oct;53(10):834–843. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.53.10.834. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hodges J. R., Warlow C. P. The aetiology of transient global amnesia. A case-control study of 114 cases with prospective follow-up. Brain. 1990 Jun;113(Pt 3):639–657. doi: 10.1093/brain/113.3.639. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kapur N. Amnesia in relation to fugue states--distinguishing a neurological from a psychogenic basis. Br J Psychiatry. 1991 Dec;159:872–877. doi: 10.1192/bjp.159.6.872. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kapur N., Ellison D., Smith M. P., McLellan D. L., Burrows E. H. Focal retrograde amnesia following bilateral temporal lobe pathology. A neuropsychological and magnetic resonance study. Brain. 1992 Feb;115(Pt 1):73–85. doi: 10.1093/brain/115.1.73. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kapur N., Heath P., Meudell P., Kennedy P. Amnesia can facilitate memory performance: evidence from a patient with dissociated retrograde amnesia. Neuropsychologia. 1986;24(2):215–221. doi: 10.1016/0028-3932(86)90054-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kapur N., Young A., Bateman D., Kennedy P. Focal retrograde amnesia: a long term clinical and neuropsychological follow-up. Cortex. 1989 Sep;25(3):387–402. doi: 10.1016/s0010-9452(89)80053-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lee B. I., Lee B. C., Hwang Y. M., Sohn Y. H., Jung J. W., Park S. C., Han M. H. Prolonged ictal amnesia with transient focal abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging. Epilepsia. 1992 Nov-Dec;33(6):1042–1046. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1992.tb01756.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lou H. Repeated episodes of transient global amnesia. Acta Neurol Scand. 1968;44(5):612–618. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1968.tb05595.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mazzucchi A., Moretti G., Caffarra P., Parma M. Neuropsychological functions in the follow-up of transient global amnesia. Brain. 1980 Mar;103(1):161–178. doi: 10.1093/brain/103.1.161. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Meador K. J., Adams R. J., Flanigin H. F. Transient global amnesia and meningioma. Neurology. 1985 May;35(5):769–771. doi: 10.1212/wnl.35.5.769. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Melo T. P., Ferro J. M., Ferro H. Transient global amnesia. A case control study. Brain. 1992 Feb;115(Pt 1):261–270. doi: 10.1093/brain/115.1.261. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Miller J. W., Yanagihara T., Petersen R. C., Klass D. W. Transient global amnesia and epilepsy. Electroencephalographic distinction. Arch Neurol. 1987 Jun;44(6):629–633. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1987.00520180049015. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Palmini A. L., Gloor P., Jones-Gotman M. Pure amnestic seizures in temporal lobe epilepsy. Definition, clinical symptomatology and functional anatomical considerations. Brain. 1992 Jun;115(Pt 3):749–769. doi: 10.1093/brain/115.3.749. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Pritchard P. B., 3rd, Holmstrom V. L., Roitzsch J. C., Giacinto J. Epileptic amnesic attacks: benefit from antiepileptic drugs. Neurology. 1985 Aug;35(8):1188–1189. doi: 10.1212/wnl.35.8.1188. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rumpl E., Rumpl H. Recurrent transient global amnesia in a case with cerebrovascular lesions and livedo reticularis (Sneddon Syndrome). J Neurol. 1979 Aug;221(2):127–131. doi: 10.1007/BF00313110. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Shuping J. R., Toole J. F., Alexander E., Jr Transient global amnesia due to glioma in the dominant hemisphere. Neurology. 1980 Jan;30(1):88–90. doi: 10.1212/wnl.30.1.88. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Tassinari C. A., Ciarmatori C., Alesi C., Cardinaletti L., Salvi F., Rubboli G., Plasmati R., Forti A., Michelucci R. Transient global amnesia as a postictal state from recurrent partial seizures. Epilepsia. 1991 Nov-Dec;32(6):882–885. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1991.tb05545.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]