Transient Ischemic Attack (Print Version)

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Transient Ischemic Attack

URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/transientischemicattack.html

Also called: Also called: Mini-stroke, TIA

A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a stroke that comes and goes quickly. It happens when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in your brain. This causes the blood supply to the brain to stop briefly. Symptoms of a TIA are like other stroke symptoms, but do not last as long. They happen suddenly, and include

Numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body
Confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech
Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Loss of balance or coordination

Most symptoms of a TIA disappear within an hour, although they may last for up to 24 hours. Because you cannot tell if these symptoms are from a TIA or a stroke, you should get to the hospital quickly.

TIAs are often a warning sign for future strokes. Taking medicine, such as blood thinners, may reduce your risk of a stroke. Your doctor might also recommend surgery.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Start Here

Transient Ischemic Attack(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tia/tia.htm
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4781

Overviews

Transient Ischemic Attack(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/transient-ischemic-attack/DS00220/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
Transient Ischemic Attack Animation(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3057388

Latest News

Consider Transient Ischemic Attacks an Emergency, Groups Urge(05/07/2009, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_83969.html

Diagnosis/Symptoms

Carotid Ultrasound(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/cu/cu_whatis.html
Carotid Ultrasound Imaging(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=us-carotid
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=us-carotid
Functional MR Imaging (fMRI) -- Brain(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=fmribrain
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=fmribrain
Let's Talk about Stroke, TIA and Warning Signs(American Heart Association) - Links to PDF - http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heartsmart/118582358042250-0066%20ASA%20TIAWrngSigns_4-07.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/stroke/108136828897563%20ASA%20Ischemic%20Span.pdf
Stroke Risk Factors and Symptoms(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/stroke/stroke_bookmark.htm
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/trastornos/apoplejia.htm

Treatment

Non-Surgical Procedures Open Blocked Arteries to Prevent and Treat Stroke(Society of Interventional Radiology) - http://www.sirweb.org/patients/stroke/
What Are Anticoagulants and Antiplatelet Agents?(American Heart Association) - Links to PDF - http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/1196965757160AnticoagandAntiplat.pdf

Prevention/Screening

Aspirin in Heart Attack and Stroke Prevention(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4456
Carotid Endarterectomy(Patient Education Institute) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/carotidendarterectomy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/carotidendarterectomyspanish/htm/index.htm
Lipid Profile(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/lipid/glance.html
Stents(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/stents/stents_whatis.html

Rehabilitation/Recovery

Post-Stroke Rehabilitation(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/stroke/poststrokerehab.htm
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/trastornos/apoplejia_rehabilitacion.htm

Related Issues

Avoiding Another Stroke(American Stroke Association) - http://www.strokeassociation.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3030379
Carotid Artery Disease, Stroke, Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIAs)(Society for Vascular Surgery) - http://www.vascularweb.org/patients/NorthPoint/Carotid_Artery_Disease.html
JAMA Patient Page: Transient Neurological Attacks(American Medical Association) - Links to PDF - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/298/24/2978.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/data/298/24/2978/DC1/1

Tutorials

Carotid Endarterectomy(Patient Education Institute) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/carotidendarterectomy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/carotidendarterectomyspanish/htm/index.htm

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Ischemic Attack, Transient(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Ischemic+Attack,+Transient%22

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: Know the signs of a mini-stroke. A transient ischemic attack... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19350732&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Inherited prothrombotic risk factors in children with stroke, transient ischemic... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19336355&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Transient ischaemic attack. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19307272&tool=MedlinePlus
Transient Ischemic Attack -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=ischemic+attack,transient[majr]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus

Organizations

American Heart Association - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200000
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/
National Stroke Association - http://www.stroke.org/

Statistics

Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics -- 2008 Update(American Heart Association) - Large PDF file - http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/1200082005246HS_Stats%202008.final.pdf

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

Stroke - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/stroke.html
Blood, Heart and Circulation - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/bloodheartandcirculation.html
Brain and Nerves - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/brainandnerves.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Transient Ischemic Attack is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/

Date last updated: May 08 2009

Topic last reviewed: February 13 2009