Developer site: The content shown here is test data.

MyEClinic
MyEClinic
Health Dictionary AI Health Chat Find an Online Doctor
A serene Zen garden with raked sand and smooth stones, symbolising clarity and calm

Health Dictionary

Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.

Back to skin conditions

Transient global amneisa epidemiology and demographics

Introduction

Overview

Overview

  • Each year, approximately 3 to 8 persons per 100,000 population experience an episode of transient global amnesia[1].
  • The condition occurs more frequently in persons older than 50 years of age[1].
Epidemiology of Transient Global Amnesia

Epidemiology of Transient Global Amnesia

  • In a retrospective series of 277 cases, the mean age was 62 years[2].
  • Sex distribution has varied across studies:
    • Some series report slightly more men than women[2][3],
    • Other series show the opposite pattern[2][3].
  • In most series, about 15% of patients have had more than one episode[2].
  • Among those with recurrent episodes, the average interval between episodes was approximately 2 years, and almost two thirds had three or more definite or probable episodes[2].
  • Estimates of recurrence frequency and intervals vary among studies[2][4].
  • Data from a retrospective series of 1044 patients suggested that younger age at first episode and a personal or family history of migraine were associated with future episodes, although these findings have not been consistently affirmed[4].
  • Cardiovascular risk factors have been overrepresented in some series but are considered commensurate with the typical age range of affected patients[5].
  • A higher risk of transient global amnesia has been reported among patients with migraine compared with those without migraine[6].
  • Rare reports of transient global amnesia in adolescents have been linked to athletic activity and a history of migraine[7].
References

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ropper AH (February 2023). “Transient Global Amnesia”. N Engl J Med. 388 (7): 635–640. doi:10.1056/NEJMra2213867. PMID 36791163 Check |pmid= value (help).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Miller JW, Petersen RC, Metter EJ, Millikan CH, Yanagihara T (May 1987). “Transient global amnesia: clinical characteristics and prognosis”. Neurology. 37 (5): 733–7. doi:10.1212/wnl.37.5.733. PMID 3574671.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Rollinson RD (October 1978). “Transient global amnesia–a review of 213 cases from the literature”. Aust N Z J Med. 8 (5): 547–9. doi:10.1111/j.1445-5994.1978.tb02598.x. PMID 369512.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Morris KA, Rabinstein AA, Young NP (December 2020). “Factors Associated With Risk of Recurrent Transient Global Amnesia”. JAMA Neurol. 77 (12): 1551–1558. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2020.2943. PMC 7489420 Check |pmc= value (help). PMID 32865551 Check |pmid= value (help).
  5. ↑ Zorzon M, Antonutti L, Masè G, Biasutti E, Vitrani B, Cazzato G (September 1995). “Transient global amnesia and transient ischemic attack. Natural history, vascular risk factors, and associated conditions”. Stroke. 26 (9): 1536–42. doi:10.1161/01.str.26.9.1536. PMID 7660394.
  6. ↑ Liampas I, Siouras AS, Siokas V, Tsouris Z, Rikos D, Brotis A, Aloizou AM, Dastamani M, Dardiotis E (January 2022). “Migraine in transient global amnesia: a meta-analysis of observational studies”. J Neurol. 269 (1): 184–196. doi:10.1007/s00415-020-10363-y. PMID 33388926 Check |pmid= value (help).
  7. ↑ Tosi L, Righetti CA (February 1997). “Transient global amnesia and migraine in young people”. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 99 (1): 63–5. doi:10.1016/s0303-8467(96)00595-1. PMID 9107472.

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Hasnain Ali Moryani, MBBS.