by Daniel of Diodorus
It’s called “temporary global amnesia”: It’s a temporary but impressive disorder that resolves spontaneously. What are the triggers (including intense exercise, pain, emotions, and altitude)
It’s an impressive phenomenon: at a certain point, a person suddenly seems completely disoriented, even in time, doesn’t seem to fix anything in their memory, and may show some difficulty in recovering previous memories. She keeps repeating the same questions over and over and obviously can’t remember the answers she’s already been given. Those who observe the phenomenon are in disbelief, partly because transient global amnesia – as the disorder is called – can strike without warning while all other mental functions are intact.
Headquarters spotted
Research using seven Tesla very high field magnetic resonance for the first time shows how the phenomenon is due to transient changes detectable in the hippocampus, a small, fundamental structure of the brain linked to mnemonic functions. In particular, the changes are concentrated in a small part called Ammon’s Horn. The research was published in the journal Neuroradiology and was carried out by a Norwegian team led by Runa Geirmundsdatter Unsgård from the Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. Previous studies, carried out with less powerful magnetic resonances, had already detected the presence of these changes, but in many cases they could not highlight them, leaving doubts about what could be the causes of this disorder.
who hits
Temporary global amnesia generally affects people over fifty, even in perfect health, although it is more common in people suffering from certain neurological pathologies such as migraines, epilepsy, or cerebrovascular abnormalities. The disruption can be of very short duration, lasting on average from one to six hours, or even lasting 24 hours, while the studies carried out show that the changes detected by magnetic resonance can be detectable even up to 96 hours. Typically, both the awareness of one’s identity and other forms of memory remain intact, such as the procedural motor memory that lets us “remember” things like tying our shoes or riding a bicycle. In some cases, triggering events can be identified: highly emotional situations, very intense physical activity, sexual intercourse, acute pain, medical interventions, exposure to high altitude, exposure to water that is too hot or too cold. Anyone who has had an episode of transient global amnesia is at some risk of it coming back. Several studies estimate this risk to be around ten percent. The possibility of the disorder occurring in multiple people in the same family has also been noted.
That after
Despite its spectacular nature, transient global amnesia, as its name suggests, disappears without leaving memory problems and does not require specific treatments. In any case, a specialist clarification for the differential diagnosis to other neurological diseases is always advisable and also to be able to reassure both those affected and their relatives or witnesses.
12/29/2022 (Change 12/29/2022 | 1:03 p.m.)
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