Because of this, doctors must consider a variety of potential culprits for short-lived, stroke-like symptoms in any person whose CT and MRI scans are normal.
Conditions that can mimic symptoms of a TIA include:
- Seizures
These are episodes of disorganized brain activity. Although most people are familiar with the type of seizures that cause unconsciousness and violent body shakes, there are other types of seizures that resemble TIAs. Some of the shared symptoms include weakness in one limb, memory disturbance, and inattention. - Migraines
Migraines are debilitating headaches that affect a large percent of the population. Some types of migraines are accompanied by symptoms that can be confused with a TIA, including temporary facial paralysis, vertigo, blurry vision, and weakness or numbness in the limbs. - Dizziness
This is one of the most non-specific, yet potentially significant symptoms a person can experience. In fact, people can feel similar degrees of dizziness from a stomach virus as they do from a stroke. Because of this, when a person comes to the emergency department with unexplained dizziness, a TIA or a stroke are always considered as possible causes. - Memory Disturbance
When a TIA affects one of the memory areas of the brain, it can cause temporary memory disturbances. However, many other brain conditions can cause memory disturbances, including seizures and migraine headaches. For this reason, whenever a person comes to the emergency department with a memory disturbance, doctors must make sure the symptoms are not caused by a stroke or TIA.
Source: J. P. Mohr, Dennis W. Choi, James C. Grotta, Bryce Weir, Phillip A. Wolf Stroke: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Management Churchill Livingstone; 4th edition (2004)
Related:
What is a stroke?
What are the symptoms of a stroke?
