CBS2 Says Stroke Isn't the Reason for Reporter Serene Branson's Bizarre Babbling

It seemed like a stroke might be the likely reason for CBS2 and KCAL-9 reporter Serene Branson's bizarre babbling while covering the Grammy Awards, but CBS2 has denied the rumors. So what else could the cause be?

After Serene Branson starting speaking gibberish during her coverage of the Grammy Awards, the video of what appeared to be another Miss Teen South Carolina moment went viral. Internet opinions on the reason for the reporter's odd on-air babbling ranged from drugs and alcohol to stroke. But while stroke seemed like a very likely reason for her speaking difficulties, CBS2's denial of this diagnosis is leaving the episode to further speculation.
KCAL-9 did report that Serene Branson was suffering from "health-related" problems and has followed up with further medical tests, so it seems that there's a big possibility that the reporter could still have a major health scare on her hands. While she may not have suffered from a stroke, she could have been experiencing a transient ischemic attack (TIA), which is like a temporary stroke that is caused by a blood clot temporarily clogging an artery. This interrupts blood flow to the brain, causing symptoms like trouble speaking, numbness, confusion, loss of coordination, dizziness, difficulty seeing, and sudden severe headache. Other causes of confused speech include headaches, partial seizure, vascular spasms, drugs, and heart rhythm disturbances.

If Serene Branson did indeed suffer a TIA, it's not something to be taken lightly; according to AmericanHeart.org, more than one third of those that suffer TIAs will go on to suffer a stroke.

Whatever the case, the video of this reporter that went viral could possibly help save some lives. Since TIAs are temporary problems that quickly go away, leaving victims feeling completely normal afterward, they might not always get the medical testing they need. So while it has to be scary going through what she did on air, hopefully Serene Branson's internet fame translates into what could be a life-saving diagnosis for her and others suffering from similar symptoms.

SOURCES:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1357247/Serene-Branson-goes-check-doctors-suspect-stroke.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/15/serene-branson-went-to-doctor_n_823306.html
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4781
http://entertainment.blogs.foxnews.com/2011/02/14/did-grammys-reporter-serene-branson-suffer-stroke-on-air/?test=latestnews