Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) By Ji Y Chong, MD, Weill Cornell Medical College Reviewed / Revised Apr 2020 | Modified Sep 2022 View Patient Education Etiology Symptoms and Signs Diagnosis Treatment Key Points Topic Resources Selected Stroke Syndromes A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is focal brain ischemia that causes sudden, transient neurologic deficits and is not accompanied by permanent brain infarction (eg, negative results on diffusion-weighted MRI).