Two Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that sexual intercourse can cause temporary amnesia in elderly men, Reuters Health reported recently."We report two patients who presented with transient global amnesia immediately after sexual intercourse," said Chi V. Dang, MD, and Lawrence B. Gardner, MD, in a letter to The Lancet.
The researchers believe the phenomenon may be due to the "Valsalva maneuver" that occurs during sexual intercourse. During the Valsalva movement, a withholding of the breath and a concurrent tightening of the muscles puts pressure on the chest and neck. This stops drainage of blood from the head. This cerebrovascular movement may affect memory and other intellectual functions.
The researchers conclude that their findings may help to explain President Bill Clinton's recent behavior.
"...a presidential Valsalva maneuver during each of his recent escapades may have legally allowed him to not recall specific events." A medical explanation for Clinton's faulty memory "may thereby help maintain international stability during the recent transient global economic fluctuation."
[Ed.: White House aide Sidney Blumenthal testified to a grand jury that President Clinton's power of recall was beginning to falter now that he was in his fifties. One one occasion, the president was working on a crossword puzzle and could not remember the name of Porky Pig's wife. "I reminded him it was Petunia," Blumenthal testified.]
