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Transient global amnesia in legal proceedings

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Abstract

Transient global amnesia (TGA) is a neurological disorder characterized by an acute onset of severe anterograde amnesia. While retrograde amnesia may be present—although to a lesser extent—patients have no further cognitive disturbances or neurological signs. These symptoms resolve fully within several hours leaving a permanent memory gap for the duration of the episode and do not lead to long-term neurological deficits. In addition to well-defined clinical diagnostic criteria, in up to 80 % of patients, small, point-shaped lesions in the hippocampus are detected 24–48 h after symptom onset on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance images. Despite several etiological hypotheses, to date, there is no scientific proof for the etiology of TGA or the small hippocampal lesions. Interestingly, in a large number of cases, an emotionally or physically straining event precipitates the onset of TGA, suggesting a stress-related mechanism. We report two cases of TGA occurring in legally relevant settings: affecting the victim of brutal burglary and the key witness in a murder trial. In the context of forensic medicine, the knowledge of this disorder and recognition of its typical features are essential.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, UniversitätsMedizin Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68135, Mannheim, Germany

    Martin Griebe, Micha Kablau, Michael G. Hennerici & Kristina Szabo

  2. Department of Neurology, Klinikum Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany

    Hansjörg Bäzner

Authors
  1. Martin Griebe
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  2. Hansjörg Bäzner
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  3. Micha Kablau
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  4. Michael G. Hennerici
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  5. Kristina Szabo
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Correspondence to Martin Griebe.

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Griebe, M., Bäzner, H., Kablau, M. et al. Transient global amnesia in legal proceedings. Int J Legal Med 129, 223–226 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-014-1038-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-014-1038-5

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