Computer-aided assessment of transient ischemic attacks. A clinical evaluation

Abstract

We developed and evaluated a computer-based system to assist with the difficult problem of assessing the conditions of patients with transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). The program used criteria to classify a patient's illness localize the neurologic deficit, screen for 46 causative or mimicking disorders, recommend additional tests, and suggest management steps. We evaluated this program in 103 patients with TIAs. The TIA program's localization and classification of patients generally agreed with those made by stroke specialists at our institution, demonstrating that computer programs can reproduce the decision criteria of stroke specialists. With revisions, the TIA program or similar systems could be useful for objective disease classification in clinical trials or epidemiologic studies. In contrast, the TIA program's treatment recommendations were often found to differ significantly from the actual treatments administered by non-stroke specialists.