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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.
- Transient global amnesia. In: Moore DP, et al. Handbook of Medical Psychiatry. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/142042674-4/849601650/1243/207.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-02911-6..50207-4_1884. Accessed June 6, 2009.
- Brewer JB, et al. Memory. In: Goetz GD. Textbook of Clinical Neurology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: W.B. Saunders; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/142042674-3/0/1488/42.html?tocnode=53800427&fromURL=42.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3618-0..10005-0_195. Accessed June 6, 2009.
- Bourgeois JA, et al. Delirium, dementia, and amnestic and other cognitive disorders. In: Hales RE, et al., eds. The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry. 5th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2009. http://psychiatryonline.com. Accessed June 6, 2009.
- Feldman MD. Amnestic disorder. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2009. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/142042674-6/849601967/1701/33.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-04134-8..50004-5--subchapter28_613. Accessed June 6, 2009.
- Shekhar R. Transient global amnesia. International Journal of Clinical Practice. 2008;62:939.
- Davis PH. Transient global amnesia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 6, 2009.
- RC Petersen (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 4, 2009.
