Transient epileptic amnesia

The transient epileptic amnesia (TEA ) is a very rare special form of temporal lobe epilepsy.

The epileptogenic focus in the hippocampus is thought region. The TEA is reflected in frequently recurring - ictal and anterograde so - memory impairment as the sole symptoms associated with persistent retrograde amnesia. The latter includes mostly autobiographical content, but can also include only some special life events. The main differential diagnosis for TEA is the Transient global amnesia (TGA).

The repeated occurrence of memory impairment in short intervals, EEG abnormalities usually temporal in terms of peak potentials, the rapid improvement by anticonvulsants and the additional retrograde memory impairment are priority criteria to delineate a TEA by the TGA. Other differential diagnoses for TEA are called amnesic strokes, delirious states and dissociation. The TEA (see below ) usually observed according to the literature in the elderly. Whether it precedes a future dementia development, has not been elucidated.