Internal Jugular Vein Valve Incompetence Is Highly Prevalent in Transient Global Amnesia

Transient global amnesia (TGA) is the inability to retain new information and to recall past events during a period of minutes or hours. Its etiology is unclear, and flow disturbances in the mesial temporal lobes secondary to venous congestion have been proposed as a potential cause. Ultrasonographic evaluation of the internal jugular vein (IJV) has demonstrated valvular insufficiency in TGA. The prevalence of valvular insufficiency in the IJV in patients with TGA was assessed. Subjects without TGA of similar sex, age, and vascular risk factor profiles served as controls.