Ask a Neurologist
04.01.2009 - amnesia
- Question:
Hi! I recently suffered a bout of temporary amnesia. In the emergency room they ran a bunch of tests and
could not explain why. I have relapse remitting ms. The attending physician was sure it was not my ms but after researching what I could find on cognitive fatigue I wonder. Is it possible that cognitive fatigue was intense enough to cause amnesia? During the bout I was unresponsive to my husband I could not even remember how to sign my name! They did not do an MRI. Would an MRI indicate if it was ms? What do you think? Thanks, Kyza KaufmanP.S. I am 43 and was diagnosed about 15 years ago. My last lapse was about 11 years ago- optic neuritis. I take meds for fatigue-Provigil and Gabapentin for leg issues at night.
- Reply:
-
Temporary amnesia is normally no MS sign/symptom. It looks as if you have had a transient global amnesia which is mostly caused by a migraine attack without headache. Symptoms lasting less than 24 hours are normally not due to MS. So an MRI scan is not necessary at this moment.
Fatigue is a symptom of MS but is not responsible for transient amnesia.
- Consultant:
- Dr E.A.C.M. Sanders