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ANALGESIA

Recurrent Transient Global Amnesia with Intrathecal Baclofen

Lucinda A. Grande, MD^*, John D. Loeser, MD, and Ali Samii, MD

From the Departments of *Anesthesiology, Neurological Surgery and Neurology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Lucinda A. Grande, MD, Department of Anesthesiology, Box 356540, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195. Address e-mail to cgrande{at}u.washington.edu.

Abstract

A middle-aged woman began experiencing spells of profound anterograde amnesia several months after beginning intrathecal baclofen treatment for generalized dystonia. Her spells met criteria for transient global amnesia, but were unusual because of their frequent recurrence and because their frequency was somewhat dose-dependent on baclofen. Fludrocortisone decreased the frequency of these episodes, and sublingual nitroglycerin both prevented and terminated them. Baclofen-induced amnesia in rodents is a reliable model of memory impairment. In contrast, baclofen-induced memory impairment in humans is uncommon. Baclofen- associated transient global amnesia has not previously been reported.