Mini-Strokes May Lead to PTSD

A mini-stroke may not cause lasting physical damage, but it could increase your risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a small, new study suggests.

Almost one-third of patients who suffered a mini-stroke — known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA) — developed symptoms of PTSD, including depression, anxiety and reduced quality of life, the researchers said.

"At the moment, a TIA is seen by doctors as a fairly benign disorder," said study co-author Kathrin Utz, a researcher in the department of neurology at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany.