Are a TIA and a migraine aura from the same cause?
I’d have to disagree slightly with the other contributor. A TIA is any neurological deficit that lasts less than 24 hours. It is caused by a blockage in one of the arteries supplying your brain. The pathophysiology of migraine is complicated, but prior to the vasodilatation previously described, there is a period of vasospasm in the arteries supplying the brain. Vasospasm means the artery contracts and narrows and would reduce the amount of oxygen supplying the brain and produce the aura. TIA and migraine aura are both caused by a reduction in oxygen to your brain, however the mechanism causing the reduction in oxygenated blood is different.
