Stroke

Content:

Introduction to Stroke

 Stroke = cerebrovascular accident (CVA)

-       General Definition: Brain damage caused by vascular disruptions (loss of blood supply or bleeding). 

-       Necrosis of brain tissues is likely if occlusion lasts more than 3-5mins.

-       Death of brain tissue caused by loss of blood supply is infarct.

-       During the first few days after a stroke, parts of the brain that are not actually damaged or destroyed may be functionally impaired, unless the stroke is a very small one.


Common symptoms of a stroke: 

-       Abrupt weakness or numbness on one side of the body

-       Abrupt impairment of vision, especially in one eye 

-       Abrupt difficulty speaking or under­ standing speech

-       Abrupt episodes of dizziness or falls 

-       Abrupt severe headache, especially with any of the other symptoms 


P.S. The onset of communicative disorders follow­ing strokes almost always is dramatic, with symptoms developing rapidly and becoming maximally expressed within a few minutes to a few hours. 

P.S. Major strokes often yield a pattern in which there is immediate general disruption of cere­bral functions, gradually resolving to more limited (focal) disruption of specific processes, depending on what parts of the brain have been permanently damaged. 


References:

Brookshire, R.H. (2007). Introduction to neurogenic communication disorders (7th Ed). St. Louis: Mosby. (page 36- 50)


Next: Stroke 1.0 - Types of Stroke (Introduction & Ischemic Stroke)