DWI in transient global amnesia and TIA: proposal for an ischaemic origin of TGA

There are conflicting reports concerning signal intensity changes in transient global amnesia (TGA) using diffusion weighted imaging (DWI). We prospectively analysed DWI signal intensity changes in TIA and TGA patients, and compared the clinical characteristics and risk factors of both groups. Using DWI and conventional T1 and T2 weighted turbo spin echo sequences, 28 patients with acute TGA (13 men, mean age 61.5 years) and 74 TIA patients (47 men, mean age 62.4 years) were studied within 48 hours after symptom onset. Every patient underwent an intensive diagnostic investigation. In 10/28 (36%) of the TGA patients and 21/74 (28%) of the TIA patients, DWI signal intensity changes occurred. The time to DWI and the duration of symptoms were comparable in TIA and TGA patients. Overall, TIA patients showed an increased prevalence o