Researchers from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany found that individuals who had a history of mini-strokes are more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Mini-stroke, also known as transient ischemic attack (TIA), happens when the blood flow to the brain is blocked for not more than five minutes. It is different compared to other types of strokes such as ischemic stroke where there is blockage of the arteries that supply blood to the brain, and hemorrhagic stroke when the artery breaks open due to too much pressure on brain cells. Mini-stroke is a warning sign of a future stroke.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), on the other hand, is triggered by a distressing event manifested by flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety that leads to intense thoughts. There is no precise explanation why some get this mental condition, but some of the identified risk factors include trauma experienced during childhood and hereditary.
But, a new study identified that the mini-stroke can also be a risk factor. It is the first to explore whether mini-strokes increase one's risk to the development of mental disorders.
"We found one in three TIA patients develop PTSD," Kathrin Utz, Ph.D., a study author and post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Neurology at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany said in a press release.
The researchers analyzed 108 patients with no history of major strokes but have mini-strokes before. The participants completed a questionnaire to determine their mental quality of life. They also underwent mental assessment in which the researchers learned that 30 percent of the respondents had PTSD symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and reduced quality of life.
Furthermore, 14 percent of the participants showed more inferior mental quality of life while 7 percent showed lower quality of life in terms of physical standards.
The researchers believe that the patients' fear of stroke may be a reason they developed PTSD.
"When experienced together, the symptoms from TIA and depression pose a significant psychological burden on the affected patient; therefore, it comes as no surprise that we also found TIA patients with PTSD have a measurably lower sense of quality of life," Utz said.
Further findings of the study were published in the Oct. 2 issue of the journal, Stroke.
