Transient Ischemic Attack: Symptoms, Complaints, Signs

The following symptoms and complaints may indicate a transient ischemic attack (TIA):

• Dizziness
• Diplopia (double vision, double images)
• Dysarthria (speech disorder)
• Dysphagia (swallowing disorder)
• Balance disorders
• Sensory deficits or sensory disturbances.
• Amaurosis fugax – sudden and temporary blindness.
• Aphasia (language disorder) – e.g., word-finding disorders.
• Paresis (paralysis)
• Hemianopsia (visual field loss)
• Sudden clouding of consciousness
• Nausea/vomiting
• Confusion
• Cephalgia (headache) [see belowTIA headache].

The above symptoms resolve within 24 hours. However, the risk of suffering an apoplexy (stroke) remains thereafter.

Note

• Brief paresis (paralysis) or speech disturbances lasting less than 5 minutes or nonmotor symptoms of any duration were associated with signs of ischemic cerebral infarction in 13.5% of cases on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Associated with cerebral infarction were:
  • Symptoms paresis or speech disturbance (odds ratio [OR]; OR 2.12), first onset of symptoms (OR 1.87), and reporting persistent symptoms (OR 1.97); older age (OR 1.02).
• Transient (transient) clinical symptoms do not clearly differentiate between an ischemic (blood flow-related) and a hemorrhagic (bleeding-related) cause (intracerebral hemorrhage (ICB; cerebral hemorrhage)/brain hemorrhage). Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICB; brain hemorrhage; usually subcortical hemorrhage/”below” the cerebral cortex) is present in 1.24% of patients with suspected TIA. Therefore, rapid imaging (cCT or cMRI) is required for TIA symptoms!.
• Migraineurs can mimic cerebral ischemia, esp. a transient ischemic attack (TIA) (MA as stroke mimic).

TIA headache (TIA = transitory ischemic attack; to a sudden circulatory disturbance of the brain, which leads to neurological disorders that regress within 24 hours).