Brief Communication Brain Stem Dysfunction in Transient Global Amnesia

SUMMARY A patient with transient global amnesia also had transient bilateral gaze nystagmus which was detected both by conventional bedside examination and upon electronystagmographic recording. The nystagmus was absent one week later indicating recovery of the temporary brain stem deficit. The recording of objective evidence of brain stem dysfunction in the form of gaze nystagmus in a patient who had transient global amnesia, suggests that both were due to a transient ischemic attack involving the cerebral blood supply in the vertebrobasilar distribution. Stroke Vol 10, No 4, 1979 THE SYNDROME of transient global amnesia (TGA) is well known. It was named by Fisher and Adams1 but described first by Bender.2 Typically, the patient reports having had a complete loss of memory, usually for a few hours. Relatives describe the patient during the attack, as being aware of having a problem, repeatedly asking the same questions about it, and then being unable to remember the answers. Durin