Seasonal Incidence of Transient Global Amnesia (TGA) and Seasonal Variations of Blood Pressure - Is there an Association?

BACKGROUND

Many neurological diseases show seasonal incidence variations, and transient global amnesia (TGA) is one of them. Arterial hypertension is the most common clinical symptom accompanying TGA in the acute phase. Blood pressure is subject to physiological variability depending on the season.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study was to analyze the seasonal variability in the incidence and blood pressure values of patients with TGA and the potential association between these variables.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Retrospective, cross-sectional, single center analysis of 70 medical records of patients with TGA. All the patients underwent 24-hour automatic blood pressure monitoring during hospitalization. Analysis of the seasonal incidence and variability of blood pressure depending on the season and a month has been performed.

RESULTS

The highest incidence of TGA have been observed at the turn of winter and spring (March) and in autumn (November). No significant relationship between the seasonality of TGA occurrence and the seasonal variability of blood pressure has been found.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study showed a reversal of the physiological seasonal variability of blood pressure (BP) in patients with TGA, which may indicate impaired autonomic control of blood pressure in these patients. As arterial hypertension often co-occurs with TGA, the obtained results may be one of the aspects useful for planning antihypertensive treatment in these patients.