OverviewA transient ischemic attack (TIA) is an injury to the brain caused by a temporary interruption in its blood supply. A TIA is like a stroke, except that it lasts only a brief time. The occurrence of a TIA is a signal that the person may have a stroke in the near future.
What is going on in the body?During a transient ischemic attack, there is a lack of blood flow to a portion of the brain. This causes symptoms in the body depending on the part of the brain that is affected. A TIA can last up to 24 hours. However, typical TIAs often last less than 30 minutes. The person remains conscious during the episode.
What are the signs and symptoms of the condition?Symptoms of TIA can vary, depending on which part of the brain is affected. A TIA may also occur without symptoms, or it may have symptoms such as:
• difficulty with movement, such as weakness, clumsiness, or paralysis. This often happens to only one side of the body. In some cases, a person may have weakness or clumsiness only in one hand. In other cases, one entire half of the body becomes paralyzed.
• headache
• numbness or a lack of feeling, which is also often on only one side of the body
• speech impairments, including slurred speech or difficulty finding the correct word
• difficulty doing math or writing
• visual impairments
• difficulty understanding speech or writing
• inability to recognize family members or common objects
• dizziness
• nausea or vomiting
• difficulty swallowing
• balance problems, known as ataxia
What are the causes and risks of the condition?
Transient ischemic attacks are caused by a temporary interruption of the blood flow to brain cells. Since a TIA is a short-term type of stroke, the risk factors for stroke apply to TIAs as well.
What can be done to prevent the condition?
Transient ischemic attacks can be minimized by addressing known risk factors for stroke. The American Heart Association guidelines for stroke prevention address both modifiable and less well-documented or potentially modifiable risk factors.
How is the condition diagnosed?
The first step in diagnosis of transient ischemic attack is a medical history and physical exam. This may be all that is needed to make the diagnosis. In other cases, further tests may be needed. Cranial MRIs and cranial CT scans can show whether or not there is bleeding in the brain, which can help with some treatment decisions.
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