Extensive temporally graded retrograde amnesia for personal-episodic facts in transient global amnesia

Abstract Transient global amnesia (TGA) is characterized by an impairment of episodic memory resulting both in anterograde and retrograde amnesia. Few studies have assessed retrograde amnesia in TGA. Only Evans et al. (Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 1993; 56: 1227-30) have distinguished between the episodic and semantic components of autobiographical memory, suggesting a disturbance of autobiographical incident recollection. A patient was tested during the acute phase of TGA with a sophisticated autobiographical event interview [derived from Kopelman et al. (Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropscyhology 1989; 11: 724-44) and Borrini et al. (Psychological Medicine 1989; 19: 215-24)], designed to replicate and extend this study of autobiographical memory. The autobiographical event interview disclosed an extensive disturbance in recalling memories with a temporal gradient, sparing earliest memories compared to more recent ones.