What's Transient Global Amnesia That Sai Pallavi Suffers From In The Movie Ek Din?

Sai Pallavi and Junaid Khan's movie, Ek Din, released in the theaters on Friday (May 1). In the movie, Meera played by Sai Pallavi develops Transient Global Amnesia (TGA) after she meets with an accident. TGA is a rare condition wherein individuals experience a sudden episode of memory loss. According to Cleveland Clinic, during a TGA episode, you can't form new memories (a condition called anterograde amnesia), and you have difficulty recalling recent memories (a condition called retrograde amnesia). Episodes of TGA usually last no more than several hours, and in certain cases, it can last up to 24 hours.

People who suffer from the condition can remember their name and recognise their family and friends. They are also able to perform their daily tasks, retain language and social skills. However, they can't remember immediate details like the day or time or where they are. The condition usually affects people in middle or older age. When a person has an episode of TGA, they are unable to create new memories, and hence, they don't have a memory of recent events. Cleveland Clinic says that you can't remember where you are or how you got there. You may not remember anything about what's happening right now. You may keep repeating the same questions because you don't remember the answers you've just been given. While the condition is not very serious, it can be frightening. Read on to know the symptoms, causes, and risks of TGA.

What Are The Symptoms Of TGA?

The inability to form new memories is one of the most important signs of TGA, along with the inability to remember the recent past, like memories from a few hours or days ago. Other symptoms of TGA, according to Cleveland Clinic, includes:

• Appear disoriented and confused
• Repeatedly ask the same questions
• Headache
• Nausea and vomiting
• Dizziness
• Anxiety

People experiencing TGA do not:

• Lose consciousness
• Have other neurological or cognitive symptoms, such as loss of language or issues moving
• Wake up with TGA, it happens later in the day

In most cases, TGA episodes last one to 10 hours (six hours is average). In rare cases, symptoms may persist for up to 24 hours.

Causes Of TGA

While experts haven't been able to establish the underlying cause of transient global amnesia, they say it could be linked to a history of migraines. Another cause is the overfilling of veins with blood due to some sort of blockage or other problem with the flow of blood (venous congestion). Some commonly reported events that tends to trigger TGA are:

• Sudden immersion in cold or hot water
• Strenuous physical activity
• Sexual intercourse
• Medical procedures, such as angiography or endoscopy
• Mild head trauma
• Being emotionally upset, perhaps by bad news, conflict or overwork

Risks Of TGA

Some of the common risk factors of TGA, according to Mayo Clinic, are:

• Age: People aged 50 and above have a higher risk of transient global amnesia than younger people.
• History of migraines: If you have migraines, your risk of transient global amnesia is significantly higher.

Experts say that factors such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which are linked to strokes, are not risks for transient global amnesia. This could happen because blood vessel diseases are not a cause of TGA.

Complications Of TGA

It doesn't cause any direct complication and it is also not a risk for stroke or epilepsy. Mayo Clinic says that it's possible to have a second episode of transient global amnesia, but it's extremely rare to have more than two. While the memory loss is temporary, it can still cause distress.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.