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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffDiagnosis of transient global amnesia rests on excluding more-serious conditions — stroke, seizure or head injury, for example — that can cause the same type of memory loss.
Physical exam
The process begins with a neurological exam, checking reflexes, muscle tone, muscle strength, sensory function, gait, posture, coordination and balance. The doctor may also ask questions to test thinking, judgment and memory.
Brain and imaging tests
The next step is to conduct tests that detect abnormalities in the brain's electrical activity and circulation. The most common of these tests are painless and take less than two hours each:
- Electroencephalogram (EEG). An EEG records the brain's electrical activity via electrodes affixed to the scalp. People with epilepsy often have changes in their brain waves, even when they're not having a seizure.
- Computerized tomography (CT) scan. Using special X-ray equipment, CT machines obtain images from many different angles and join them together to show cross-sectional images of the brain and skull. CT scans can reveal abnormalities in brain structure, including narrowed, overstretched or broken blood vessels and past strokes.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This technique uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed, cross-sectional images of the brain. The MRI machine can combine these slices to produce 3-D images that may be viewed from many different angles.
- 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.
