during a tia is it normal to talk out of your head in nonsense sounds, singing songs and talking like a child?

Question

After this episode the patient can relate to you the sounds she made, songs etc. Does this happen or could my elderly mother be doing this for sympathy. She has a long history of hypochondriac behavior.

Answer 1

Given a long history of hypochondriac behavior, I would assume that it is for sympathy. My great aunt was a severe hypocondriac, in that she had everything removed from her body that could be removed and her body still function (appendix, spleen, tonsils {as an adult, she never had a real medical reason to have them removed}, etc), fake mental disabilities, fake physical disabilities, etc. She was abused as a child and the family believes that she was in the hospital as much as she could be because the nurses and doctors were always very nice and waited on her hand and foot and such, which she never got as a child.

If you believe she is actually having mini-strokes, a doctor may be able to detect locations of these. If they can't be detected, it's safe to assume she's doing it for attention.

"Symptoms vary widely from person to person depending on the area of the brain involved. The most frequent symptoms include temporary loss of vision (typically amaurosis fugax), difficulty speaking (dysarthria), weakness on one side of the body (hemiparesis), numbness usually on one side of the body, and loss of consciousness. If there are neurological symptoms persisting for more than 24 hours, it is classified as a cerebrovascular accident (stroke).

The mainstay of treatment following acute recovery from a TIA should be to diagnose and treat the underlying cause. It is not always immediately possible to tell the difference between a CVA (stroke) and a TIA. Most patients who are diagnosed at a hospital's Accident & Emergency Department as having suffered from a TIA will be discharged home and advised to contact their primary physician to organize further investigations.

An electrocardiogram (ECG) may show atrial fibrillation, a common cause of TIAs, or other arrhythmias that may cause embolisation to the brain. An echocardiogram is useful in detecting thrombus within the heart chambers. Such patients benefit from anticoagulation.

If the TIA affects an area supplied by the carotid artery, an ultrasound scan may demonstrate carotid stenosis. For people with a greater than 70% stenosis within the carotid artery, removal of atherosclerotic plaque by surgery, specifically a carotid endarterectomy, may be recommended.

Some patients may also be given modified release dipyridamole or clopidogrel."

Answer 2

My experience with people who have had TIA's (I worked in a long term care setting for elderly) is that they usually exhibit weakness, momentarily blank out, don't understand a simple question or directive (time to go to supper), or respond inappropriately (like when you ask them if they need to use the bathroom they start talking about something else). There can be behavior issues. We had a lady who got confused and spoke in German and "went back" to an earlier time in her life, thought she was in Germany during the Holocaust!

Anything is possible during a TIA but usually the symptoms are not that silly. Usually it is weakness or confusion. But definitely take your mother for an evaluation.

Answer 3

A TIA is a mini stroke. It cuts off the neurological impulses to the brain for a certain amount of time. The person doesn't sing songs or talk like a child. She may be doing this for attention.

Answer 4

My mother recently had a tia and had very odd behavior. She talked to my dead father, was confused about my age and my siblings ages and was very juvenile acting. Six weeks later she seems fine and back to her normal self. TIA's are very difficult to diagnose so she could be fooling you. The symptoms shouldn't last for long periods of time and they should resolve themselves. Good luck and make sure she sees her doc regularly!

Answer 5

once In a life-time Psycho Killer life for the period of Wartime lady friend is extra valuable Naive Melody (This should be the position) Take me To The River Burning Down Thw abode Swamp Crosseyed & Painless and he or she replaced into highway to Nowhere

Answer 6

I find this a normal response for any woman. Regardless of age. Go ahead and flag this as a bad answer or report it as a violation. It is expected. The truth hurts.