TRANSIENT GLOBAL AMNESIA IN MIGRAINE

SYNOPSIS The clinical features of five migraine patients, suffering one to several episodes of transient global amnesia (TGA), were evaluated. All patients were women, with an age range of 34 to 67 years. One patient had common, and four, classical migraine. Two patients had typical vertebro‐basilar migraine; two others had previously experienced transitory neurological symptoms compatible with transitory circulatory disturbances in the vertebro‐basilar arterial system. On the basis of these data and available literature, the pathophysiological mechanisms are discussed. It is suggested that in our patients, TGA was due to transitory ischemia in the mamillo–hippocampal formation, secondary to shortlasting vasospasms in the arteries supplying mesial and basal parts of the temporal lobes. It was concluded that TGA in migraine is a benign condition, and does not usually require extensive neuroradiological investigations. Copyright © 1979, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved