[Amnestic episode (transient global amnesia) (author's transl)].

The appearance of the amnestic episode is discussed by presentation of 4 own cases and by means of literature. The amnestic episode is a mental disorder, which exclusively affects short-term memory with a sudden onset and a duration of some hours, seldom up to several days, and often it is connected with a retrograde amnesia. The latter disappears in all cases, but there remains a permanent lack of memory for the time of the episode. Recidivism is rare. Internal, neurological and neurophysiological findings during and after the amnestic episode regularly are normal, at least certainly without characteristic findings. The main age of manifestation lies between the 40th and 70th year of life, there is no priority between women and men. Probably a disturbance of blood flow in the supplying area of the basilaric arteria is responsible, though the proof is still missing.