A silent stroke is not the same as a mini stroke or a small stroke. A mini stroke describes a transient ischemic attack TIA. A TIA is a stroke that causes noticeable symptoms that reverse and completely improve without any long-term brain damage. It is a warning, but it does not appear on a Brain MRI or Brain CT scan. A silent stroke, on the other

A transient ischemic attack, has the same signs and symptoms as a stroke. However, TIA symptoms usually last less than 1-2 hours although they may last up to 24 hours. A TIA may occur only once in a person's lifetime or more often.

During a regular ischemic stroke, a clot interrupts the flow of blood to part of the brain. Without oxygen-rich blood, that part of the brain dies, taking with it functions such as speech and movement.