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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffTransient global amnesia has no direct complications, but it can cause emotional distress. If you have an episode, the gap in your memory can be unsettling, and you're likely to worry about a recurrence. Also, a symptom as dramatic as memory loss often heralds a serious underlying disease. Transient global amnesia is an exception, but it can be hard to let go of the fear that you have a tumor or had a stroke.
If you need reassurance, ask your doctor to go over the results of your neurological exam and diagnostic tests with you. A counselor or psychotherapist can help you deal with persistent anxiety. Importantly, transient global amnesia is not a risk factor for stroke.
- Davis PH. Transient global amnesia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 7, 2011.
- Ropper AH, et al. Dementia and the amnesic (Korsakoff) syndrome with comments on the neurology of intelligence and memory. In: Ropper AH, et al. Adams and Victor's Principles of Neurology. 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies. 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3633470. Accessed May 9, 2011.
- Bartsch T. Transient global amnesia: Functional anatomy and clinical applications. The Lancet. 2010;9:205.
- Amnesias. The Merck Manuals: Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/sec16/ch210/ch210c.html. Accessed May 8, 2011.
- Kirshner HS. Approaches to intellectual and memory impairments. In: Bradley WG, et al. Neurology in Clinical Practice. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier. 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?sid=1157892467&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7506-7525-3..50008-X&isbn=978-0-7506-7525-3&uniqId=243694923-5. Accessed May 11, 2011.
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