Transient Epileptic Amnesia with Preserved Consciousness: a Report of Two Cases

Transient epileptic amnesia (TEA) is defined as recurrent ictal and interictal transient memory disturbances typically occurring upon waking. Patients with TEA usually cannot remember the episodes. Electroencephalographic (EEG) abnormalities are usually localized on the dominant or bilateral temporal lobes. Here we report two cases of TEA with atypical features. The patients could remember the episodes afterwards, and abnormal discharges on EEG were detected in the temporal lobes of the non-dominant hemisphere. We suggest that confinement of epileptic discharge to the non-dominant temporal lobe can lead to partial preservation of consciousness during seizure attacks that produce transient amnesia.