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Genetic perspectives on transient global amnesia: A narrative review
Christodoulos Komiotis1, Vasiliki Poulidou2, Antonia Tsika3
1School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery
|September 26, 2025
Summary
Familial transient global amnesia (TGA) cases suggest a possible genetic link, though specific gene associations remain elusive. Migraine is a common comorbidity in TGA patients with a family history.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Genetics
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Transient global amnesia (TGA) is a neurological syndrome with sudden-onset anterograde amnesia.
- The pathophysiology and genetic basis of TGA are not well understood.
- Familial TGA cases suggest a potential heritable component.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the incidence and characteristics of familial TGA.
- To identify potential genes associated with familial TGA.
- To explore the role of comorbidities like migraine in familial TGA.
Main Methods:
- Literature search of Medline and Embase databases.
- Inclusion of 19 relevant articles: cohort studies, case reports/series, and genetic association studies.
- Analysis of clinical characteristics and comorbidities in familial TGA cases.
Main Results:
- Cohort studies (1648 TGA patients, 55 familial) found no significant genetic associations.
- Case reports/series (35 familial cases) support the existence of familial TGA.
- Migraine is a frequent comorbidity in familial TGA, more so than ischemic factors.
Conclusions:
- While no strong genetic associations have been identified, familial clustering of TGA suggests a heritable component.
- Migraine appears to be a significant comorbidity in familial TGA.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the genetic underpinnings of TGA.
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