The increased risk suggests a need for better diagnostic and therapeutic measures for patients with nonfocal TNAs.
Transient neurologic attack (TNA), the sudden onset of neurologic symptoms lasting less than 24 hours and without a clear cause, can present with focal symptoms (i.e., transient ischemic attack), nonfocal symptoms, or both. The term was coined more than 3 decades ago, but little is known about nonfocal and mixed TNAs. Researchers assessed the incidence and prognosis of focal, nonfocal, and mixed TNAs in a cohort of 6062 Dutch men and women older than 55 who were enrolled between 1990 and 1993 and followed until 2005. People with a history of stroke, myocardial infarction, or dementia at baseline were excluded.
TNAs were classified as nonfocal or mixed if symptoms included one or more of the following: decreased consciousness, unconsciousness…