Clinical features, vascular risk factors, and prognosis for transient global amnesia in Chinese patients

Background: Transient global amnesia (TGA) is an intriguing clinical syndrome that has not been studied in a series of Chinese patients. Methods: From 1989 to 1995, we observed 28 consecutive patients with TGA. Their clinical characteristics, risk factors, and outcome were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. Results: There were 13 men and 15 women with a mean age of 62 years (range, 39 to 76). The duration of amnesic attack ranged from 20 minutes to 24 hours (mean, 8 hours), with the majority (76%) of attacks lasting for 2 to 12 hours. In 9 (32%) of the 28 patients, the TGA was triggered by a potential precipitating factor including bathing, emotional stress, and headache. The most prominent symptom exhibited by patients during an attack was repetitive questioning, which occurred in 21 (75%) of the 28 patients. No focal neurological abnormality was noted during or after the attack. Electroencephalograms were obtained in 26 patients after experiencing TGA, which showed nonspecific findings in 6 patients and were normal in 20. In 21 patients who had cranial computed tomography scans, cortical atrophy was found in 5 (24%), focal infarction in 4 (19%), and the results were negative in 12 (57%). Hypertension was the predominant vascular risk factor (11 cases, 39%), then hyperlipidemia (7 cases, 25%), and smoking (3 cases, 11%). No vascular risk factor was found in 13 patients (46%). Recurrent TGA was found in 5 patients (18%), and stroke in 2 (7%). Conclusion: Our study largely confirms the demographic pattern, clinical characteristics, and prognosis of TGA patients reported from the western countries. Although the cause is uncertain, TGA is a relatively benign entity.