Transient ischemic attack

Overview (summary)

A Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) is a brief loss of neurologic function. In a TIA, the affected brain cells were not killed, but only transiently deprived of blood supply and the signs of what seems to be a stroke, (or black-out), pass quickly and completely. A TIA is often a warning sign of an impending stroke, however, and like a true stroke, is a neurologic emergency. None the less, a TIA is not a true stroke.