Description: Few people seek immediate medical care for 'mini strokes,' and experts want that to change. Researchers interviewed 241 people who had been treated in Oxford, England, for a mini stroke, or transient ischemic attack (TIA). In a transient ischemic attack, you can have similar symptoms of a stroke, but unlike a stroke, they are temporary and go away. Less than half of the patients -- 44% -- sought medical attention within hours of symptoms.