Transient Ischemic Attack (Mini Stroke)

A mini-stroke, or transient ischemic attack, happens in the brain – the center of our body functions. The brain controls how we think, see, talk, walk and feel. Each part of the brain has different jobs that control different parts of how we function. For instance, the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, which includes movement and sensation.

The left side of the brain controls the right side of the body and also the speech centers. Vision is controlled by the back of the brain and balance and coordination are controlled by the cerebellum located in the base of the brain.

When an individual suffers from a stroke, whether a mini-stroke or severe stroke, the area of the brain that is damaged controls the impairments in function that the individual experiences.

A mini-stroke is also called a transient ischemic attack or TIA. By medical definition a TIA will resolve within 24 hours. However, most TIA symptoms will resolve within just a few minutes. TIAs are often warning signs of a future, larger, stroke. The risk of a future stroke increases dramatically in the days and weeks that follow a TIA. You might think of the TIA as a warning sign, giving the individual and doctor the opportunity to find the cause and prevent permanent damage.

Symptoms of a mini-stroke, or TIA, can be very similar to those of a full stroke. Depending upon the blood supply system and the area of the brain that is affected the symptoms of a TIA can include vision problems in either one or both eyes – including double vision. Some sufferers experience temporary dizziness, clumsiness or weakness, speech problems (including slurring) and an inability to walk.

Other individuals report a sudden loss of consciousness or amnesia about a particular event or period in time. The neurological effects of a TIA may appear suddenly and can affect the ability to move or feel an entire one side of the body. The person who is affected can experience confusion, difficulty speaking and expressing themselves or the inability to follow commands (the ability to understand what others are saying to them).

The impairment during a mini-stroke may not affect the entire one side of the body but may also be limited to an arm or a leg or even just part of the face. The deficits that appear are grouped based on the anatomy of the brain. So if the part of the brain that controls speech is affected the right side of the body may also be weakened or numb.

Amaurosis Fugax is a specific type of TIA in which the individual suffers from loss of vision in one eye that resolves spontaneously. In this case the loss of blood supply to the carotid artery occludes the ophthalmic artery and stops the blood supply to the retina.

By having a good history of the impairments that were present directly after the stroke and how long they were present the physician can use the information to find the causative factors and the place in the brain where the problems are occurring. This gives them a good indicator of how to treat the problem and potentially prevent any further strokes and damage to the brain.

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