Which type of TIA would most likely cause diplopia?

Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIAs) can result from various vascular insufficiencies, and their symptoms depend significantly on the area of the brain that is affected. The type of TIA most likely to cause diplopia, or double vision, is vertebrobasilar TIA.

This type of TIA can compromise blood flow to the brainstem and cerebellum, regions crucial for coordinating eye movement and maintaining visual stability. Specifically, the brainstem houses cranial nerve nuclei that control eye muscles, and interruption in blood flow to these areas can lead to dysfunction of these nerves. When the nerves that innervate the extraocular muscles are affected, patients often experience diplopia as a symptom of that disruption.

In contrast, carotid artery TIAs may lead to unilateral vision changes or hemianopsia, while cardiac TIAs are often associated with a range of neurological deficits but not typically localized diplopia linked to brainstem involvement. Cervical artery TIAs might present symptoms due to vascular compromise primarily affecting the anterior circulation, which does not commonly cause diplopia. Thus, vertebrobasilar TIA stands out as the type associated with diplopia due to its impact on the cranial nerves in the brainstem responsible for eye movement