Transient Hyperintensity On Diffusion-Weighted MRI in Transient Global Amnesia

Objects: Different theories were suggested on the etiopathogenesis of transient global amnesia.Methods: We demonstrate a patient with transient global amnesia, in whom, a transient hyperintense signal change on left hippocampus was detected in diffusion- and T2- weighted magnetic resonance images.Conclusion: The absence of vascular risk factors or atherosclerotic changes in neuroimaging, in addition to transient lesion and antecedent migraine attack suggest the phenomenon of “spreading depression” secondary to migraine as underlying etiopathogenetic mechanism of transient global amnesia in this patient.