TGA Glossary
These terms were researched in WebMD.com, Wikipedia.com, & MerckManuals.com
Q, R, S, T
Q. empty
R.
Rate My Memory Test = A few pages of rating type questions about your memory, and then a report on your memory score with a sales pitch for a book and a link to a health care web site. Included here for reference, as there are many such sites that have information and linked opportunities to purchase their items. We are not endorsing this site but offering it as a reference.
Rate of Recurrence = How many times have you had a TGA, the number of days between episodes.
Recurrence Rate = Varies from 2.9 to 26.3% P. Quinette. Brain. 2006;129(pt7):1640-1658.
Repetitive Questions = “What am I doing here? How did we get here?
Retrograde Amnesia = A loss of memory-access to events that occurred or information that was learned, before an injury or the onset of a disease. It tends to negatively affect episodic, autobiographical, and declarative memory while usually keeping procedural memory intact with no difficulty for learning new knowledge.
S.
Seizure = The brain controls how the body moves by sending out small electrical signals through the nerves to the muscles. Seizures, or convulsions, occur when abnormal signals from the brain change the way the body functions. Seizures are different from person to person. Some people have only slight shaking of a hand and do not lose consciousness. Other people may become unconscious and have violent shaking of the entire body.
Serotonin = Primarily found in the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract), blood platelets, and the central nervous system (CNS) of humans. It is popularly thought to be a contributor to feelings of well-being and happiness. Approximately 90% of the human body's total serotonin is located in the enterochromaffin cells in the GI tract, where it is used to regulate intestinal movements. The remainder is synthesized in serotonergic neurons of the CNS, where it has various functions. These include the regulation of mood, appetite, and sleep. Serotonin also has some cognitive functions, including memory and learning. Modulation of serotonin at synapses is thought to be a major action of several classes of pharmacological antidepressants.
Spatial Memory = The part of memory responsible for recording information about one's environment and spatial orientation. For example, a person's spatial memory is required in order to navigate around a familiar city. Spatial memories are summarized as a cognitive map. Spatial memory has representations within working, short-term memory and long-term memory. Research indicates that there are specific areas of the brain associated with spatial memory.
Spreading Depression = The cortical part of the brain an electrical shut down of neurons that maybe the aura at the beginning of a migraine that starts at the edge of the visual field.
Stenosis = Abnormal narrowing of arteries.
Stroke = A stroke sometimes called a "brain attack," occurs when blood flow to an area in the brain is cut off. The brain cells, deprived of the oxygen and glucose needed to survive, die. If a stroke is not caught early, permanent brain damage or death can result.
Symptomatology = A branch of medicine dealing with symptoms and deals with the signs and indications of a disease.
T.
TEA = Transient Epileptic Amnesia = A person experiencing a TEA episode has very little short-term memory, so that there is profound difficulty remembering events in the past few minutes (anterograde amnesia), or of events in the hours prior to the onset of the attack, and even memories of important events in recent years may not be accessible during the amnestic event (retrograde amnesia). Some people report short-lived retrograde amnesia so deep that they do not recognize their home or family members, though personal identity is preserved. The amnestic attack has a sudden onset. Three-fourths of cases are reported upon awakening. In attacks that begin when an individual is fully alert, olfactory hallucinations or a "strange taste" or nausea have been reported. Somewhat less than half the cases include olfactory or gustatory hallucinations, and slightly more than a third involve motor automatisms. A quarter of attacks involve a brief period of unresponsiveness. Frequently, however, there is no warning. During the attack the person's cognitive functions are not generally impaired; perception, communication, attention are normal for most of the duration of the event. In half the cases reported, behavior includes repetitive questioning to attempt to orient experience as the brain fails to lay down new memories or recall a range of recent experiences.
TGA = Transient Global Amnesia = A neurological disorder whose key defining characteristic is a temporary but almost total disruption of short-term memory. TGA has been a well-described phenomenon for more than 40 years. Clinically, it manifests with a paroxysmal, transient loss of memory function. Immediate recall ability is preserved, as is remote memory; however, patients experience striking loss of memory for recent events and an impaired ability to retain new information. In some cases, the degree of retrograde memory loss is mild. Many patients are anxious or agitated and may repeatedly ask questions concerning transpiring events. Upon mental status examination, language function is preserved, which indicates a preservation of semantic and syntax memory. Attention is spared, visual-spatial skills are intact, and social skills are retained. Symptoms typically last less than 24 hours. As the syndrome resolves, the amnesia improves, but the patient may be left with a distinct lapse of recollection for events during the attack. Generally, TGA is a solitary event, however, patients can experience more than one event with very similar symptoms and recovery.
Thyroid Problem =The thyroid hormones also play a role in maintaining normal sexual function, sleep, and thought patterns. Increased levels are associated with increased speed of thought generation but decreased focus. Sexual function, including libido and the maintenance of a normal menstrual cycle, are influenced by thyroid hormones.
TIA = Transient Ischemic Attack = is like a stroke, producing similar symptoms, but usually lasting only a few minutes and causing no permanent damage. Often called a mini-stroke, a transient ischemic attack may be a warning. About 1 in 3 people who have a transient ischemic attack will eventually have a stroke, with about half occurring within a year after the transient ischemic attack. A transient ischemic attack can serve as both a warning and an opportunity — a warning of an impending stroke and an opportunity to take steps to prevent it. Transient ischemic attacks usually last a few minutes. Most signs and symptoms disappear within an hour. The signs and symptoms of a TIA resemble those found early in a stroke and may include sudden onset of:
· Numbness or paralysis in your face, arm or leg, typically on one side of your body
· Slurred or garbled speech or difficulty understanding others
· Blindness in one or both eyes or double vision
· Dizziness or loss of balance or coordination
· Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
You may have more than one TIA, and the recurrent signs and symptoms may be similar or different depending on which area of the brain is involved.
Tinnitus = The hearing of sound when no external sound is present. While often described as a ringing, it may also sound like a clicking, hiss or roaring.
TTA = Transient Topographical Amnesia = The temporary inability to find one's way in familiar or unfamiliar surroundings due to the inability to use well known environmental landmarks for route finding. The syndrome has not been described as having any obvious etiology and has been thought to be caused by a vascular deficit in right hemispheric structures which are crucial for topographic recognition.