Liev Schreiber Hospitalised After Severe Headache; What's Transient Global Amnesia He Once Struggled With?

Liev Schrieber spent the last weekend in the hospital after he suffered a bout of severe headache. The Ray Donovan actor received a battery of tests the following day to find out the main reason behind the condition, which his spokesperson said was serious. “Out of an abundance of caution, Liev went into the hospital for testing and as of this afternoon, he has been cleared to return to work,” Schrieber’s representative confirmed. While the test results have not been made public, Schrieber has a history of suffering from migraines. He had one of the severe migraine episodes in 2024 while performing in Broadway’s “Doubt: A Parable,” which left him unable to remember the name of his co-star, Amy Ryan, and his lines even as he performed onstage.

He was then diagnosed with Transient Global Amnesia – a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss where a person is unable to form new memories and may have some difficulty recalling recent events. “It all vanishes,” Schreiber said during an interview. “The play is gone from my head. I’m looking out into a dark audience. I know I’m in a play, but I don’t know what play I’m in.” He continued, “I look down at my clothes and realize I’m a priest, which is helpful but not giving me any lines.”

What is Transient Global Amnesia?

TGA is a rare medical condition in which you experience a sudden episode of memory loss. According to doctors, during the episode of the condition, you are not able to form new memories and have difficulty recalling recent ones. While transient means passing, the condition usually lasts no more than several hours. In rare cases, they last up to 24 hours. People with TGA remember who they are and can remember their friends and family members. They also still perform complex daily tasks like cooking or driving, and can retain their language and social interaction skills. However, during a TGA episode, they may not know where they are or the day or time. Even though researchers have been studying transient global amnesia for over five decades, they are still not sure what causes it or why it happens.

Who does TGA affect?

Transient global amnesia mainly affects those who are between the ages of 50 and 80 years, but rarely affects people younger than 40. According to a few studies, those who have a history of the following health conditions may be more at risk for developing transient global amnesia:

• Heart disease
• Migraine
• Hyperlipidaemia or high cholesterol

The condition affects about 5 to 10 people per 100,000 per year in the general US population. For people aged 50 years and older, it affects 23 to 32 people per 100,000 a year.

Signs and symptoms of TGA

Apart from not being able to form new memories, those experiencing a TGA episode may:

• Appear disoriented and confused
• Repeatedly ask the same questions, especially about the date, time, and their location
• Have a severe headache
• Have nausea and vomiting
• Dizziness
• Anxiety

However, those with TGA do not:

• Lose consciousness
• Have other neurological or cognitive symptoms, such as loss of language or issues with movement
• Wake up with TGA. It happens later in the day