A case of sleeping and forgetting

Recovery of long-term anterograde amnesia, but not retrograde amnesia, after initiation of an anti-epileptic drug in a case of transient epileptic amnesia

Transient epileptic amnesia (TEA) is characterised by recurrent brief episodes of amnesia and atypical amnesic symptoms, known as long-term anterograde amnesia and dense retrograde amnesia. It has been proposed that an antiepileptic drug (AED) can prevent not only epileptiform activity, but also accelerated forgetting. However, there have been no reports regarding the effects of such drugs on retrograde amnesia. We found that an AED prevented accelerated forgetting, but not dense retrograde amnesia, suggesting that accelerated forgetting in TEA was treatable, but retrograde amnesia was an irreversible process.

Transient epileptic amnesia: an under-diagnosed phenomenon? Three more cases

Three cases of patients with transient epileptic amnesia (also known as pure amnestic seizure) are described. In two patients it was the unique seizure type and represented de novo epilepsy occurring in the elderly. In the third patient it coexisted with long standing complex partial seizure of mesial temporal lobe origin. The problems associated with the diagnosis and the main clinical features are discussed. In addition the underlining pathophysiological mechanisms are considered. It is argued that this seizure type is likely to be under-diagnosed and that further research is needed as the presence of TEA has significant implications for clinical and surgical management.