Dados do Trabalho

Título

Clinical and epidemiological profile of patients diagnosed with transient global amnesia in Cascavel, Paraná, Brazil

Resumo

Introduction: Transient global amnesia (TGA) is a neurological syndrome defined by sudden and severe alteration of recent memory, with resolution within hours. During the event, the patient has impaired memory of recent events, as well as becoming repetitive. However, despite the temporo-spatial disorientation, the other cognitive abilities remain preserved. Deficits tend to resolve within 24 hours and the prognosis is favorable in most cases. Although there is no specific treatment, it is necessary to treat any cardiovascular risk factors that may be present. MRI can reveal a focus of hyperintensity in the hippocampus through diffusion-weighted sequence (DWI).

Objective: The objective of this study is to identify the epidemiological profile of patients who had TGA and were treated at a private neurology clinic in the city of Cascavel (PR), from 2014 to 2022.

Methodology: This is an observational, retrospective and descriptive study involving patients who presented transient global amnesia during the period of 2014 to 2022 and were treated at a private neurology clinic in Cascavel, Paraná. The variables analyzed were sex, age, risk factors, initial symptom, approximate duration of the symptom and changes in magnetic resonance imaging.

Results: 19 (n =19) patients diagnosed with transient global amnesia were identified, with a predominance of females (78,94%, n = 15). The age had a median of 64 years. The main symptom mentioned was “forgetfulness”, followed by “becoming repetitive” and “confusion”. The duration of the symptoms had a median of approximately 10 hours. The most lasting symptom had 24 hours and the most fast had three hours. MR, in most cases, dia not show any alteration. In a few cases (n = 4), microangiopathy was evidenced. The comorbidities related to the patients were hypertension (n = 9), Dyslipidemia (n = 3), and less often, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, migraine, diabetes melitus, Anxiety, rheumatoid arthritis and arrhythmia. Only two patients had a repeat episode of amnesia. The neurological exam was normal in almost all patients, except by one, who had tremor at rest.

Conclusions: Transient global amnesia is a syndrome whose pathophysiology is not fully understood. Its evolution tends to be benign, and there are usually no recurrences. It is highly related to cardiovascular risk factors, especially hypertension. More studies are needed to understand its development.

Palavras Chave

Transient global amnesia; epidemiological profile;