The P3 evoked potential and transient global amnesia
K. J. Meador, D. W. Loring, D. W. King and F. T. Nichols
Department of Neurology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta 30912.
The P3 evoked potential has been linked to memory mechanisms, but its
neuronal generators are uncertain. Transient global amnesia (TGA) is a
disorder of recent memory that has been postulated to result from ischemia
or focal seizures in the medial temporal lobes and/or thalamus. To our
knowledge, this is the first report of a recording of P3 evoked potential
and sphenoidal electroencephalogram during TGA. The tonal P3 was not
decremented in comparison to P3 recordings one month and two years after
recovery. Sphenoidal electroencephalogram was normal. The results suggest
that the neuronal networks which generate the tonal P3 are not involved in
the part of the memory system affected by TGA.
