the primary role of the brain is to send signals to the body for motor function and through the five senses (sight hearing touch smell and taste) to receive signals and return the appropriate response. the brain processes information through conscious thought and unconsciously through nerve systems that control basic bodily functions like heart rate temperature control and balance. for the most part the brain is arranged so that the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body and the left side of the brain controls the right of the body. vision is located in the back of the brain (occiput) and balance and coordination is located at the bottom of the brain (cerebellum). blood supply to the brain comes from the carotid arteries that are located in the front of the neck and the vertebral arteries that run in the back of neck through small canals in the bony spine (vertebrae) of the neck. when a portion of the brain loses its blood supply it becomes oxygen deficient and can become damaged. the part of the body that the brain controls stops functioning. this is called a stroke or a cerebrovascular accident. if the brain is able to regain its blood supply quickly then the cva symptoms may resolve; this is known as a transient ischemic attack or tia.
what is a transient ischemic attack or tia?