Influenza-associated global amnesia and hippocampal imaging abnormality
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Updated: May 11, 2026

Investigations on Alterations of Hippocampal Circuit Function Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: November 19, 2012
Jonathan Lopez1, Catherine Lomen-Hoerth, Gayle K Deutsch
1a Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences , Stanford University School of Medicine , Stanford , CA , USA.
Abstract:
The acute phase of influenza infection is rarely associated with significant cognitive dysfunction. We describe a case of a 24 year-old man who developed global amnesia in the acute phase of influenza A infection. His deficits resolved over the course of several weeks. Transient abnormalities of diffusion and T2-weighted imaging were seen in the bilateral hippocampi. We review cerebral complications of influenza and discuss the possible role of previously proposed mechanisms in our patient's case.
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