Katie Couric revealed this week that she has experienced an episode of transient global amnesia, a rare condition that suddenly removes nearly all memories without affecting self-awareness, news outlets report.
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Ms. Couric, 69, said Monday on Substack that she went blank as her husband drove her to Colorado’s Aspen Ideas Festival last month, unable to recall the month, year or the president and believing it was 2024.
The former host of NBC’s “Today” show currently hosts the “Next Question” podcast and produces the daily “Wake-Up Call” newsletter.
According to the National Institutes of Health, transient global amnesia affects 3 to 10 people per 100,000 annually, rising to 23 to 32 people per 100,000 for those 50 and older.
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People lose memories and the ability to form new ones, but retain their identity, normal cognitive function and ability to name objects. Episodes usually last one to 24 hours.
A neurologist told NBC that the brain’s memory function is “intricately complex” and said this kind of rare blip “shouldn’t be as scary as it sounds,” adding it has no link to Alzheimer’s or dementia.
Doctors sometimes trace episodes to stress, heavy exertion, previous migraines, mini-seizures or strokes, but a trigger isn’t always found, and people typically resume normal life afterward.
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