Acute cognitive disorders

Question 1

What is antegrade amnesia?

Answer 1

Memory loss in which new memories can’t be formed

Question 2

What is retrograde amnesia?

Answer 2

Memory loss in which past events can’t be recalled

Question 3

What are some causes of focal brain injury?

Answer 3

• Brain insults
• Examples: viral encephalitis, head injury, stroke

Question 4

What are some examples of acute cognitive disorders?

Answer 4

Focal injury
Transient global amnesia
Transient epileptic amnesia

Question 5

What is transient global amnesia?

Answer 5

A neurological disorder whose key defining characteristic is a temporary but almost total disruption of short-term memory with a range of problems accessing older memories

Question 6

What are some possible triggers of transient global amnesia?

Answer 6

Emotion
Change in temperature

Question 7

How will transient global amnesia present?

Answer 7

• Abrupt onset antegrade > retrograde amnesia (repetitive)
• Preserved knowledge of self
• Transient 4-6 hours (always less than 24hrs)

Question 8

What is transient epileptic amnesia?

Answer 8

A rare but probably under-diagnosed neurological condition which manifests as relatively brief and generally recurring episodes of amnesia caused by underlying temporal lobe epilepsy

Question 9

How does transient epileptic amnesia present?

Answer 9

• Forgetful/repetitive questioning
• Can carry out complex activities with no recollection of events
• Short lived

Question 10

How is transient epileptic amnesia managed?

Answer 10

Response to anti-epileptic medication should be seen