Amygdala Stroke Case Study

The Broca speech area is rostral to the inferior edge of the premotor area on the inferior frontal gyrus. It is usually on the left hemisphere and is responsible for the motor aspects of speech. Damage to this area leads to expressive aphasia or dysphasia (p.452)

Strokes are caused by a block in the blood supply to the brain which causes a decrease in oxygen and delivery of other important supplies which facilitate proper functioning. Fifteen million cases are reported worldwide annually, although not all of these cases are mortalities, the large prevalence of strokes ranks it as the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. (Figueroa) Because of the time sensitivity associated with the lack of resources to the brain, strokes are considered a medical emergency and early recognition of symptoms can help decrease the amount of damage caused . Although strokes do not always cause death, strokes most often leave the individual with some physical and cognitive impairment.

* Cerebrovascular Disease: More commonly known as stroke cerebrovascular disease can be cause by either a colt or blockage that cuts off blood flow to a part of the brain or by haemorrhage. In both cases there is damage or death of the brain tissue that can cause paralysis, speech disorder, swallowing problems and immobility. People with diabetes and high blood pressure are at higher risk of stroke.

Clients suffering from stroke have slow speech loss of memory, speechless one side of their body paralysed which cause restriction to their movement.

any type of damage to the left side of the head often experience these disabilities. Strokes can also cause severe issues with these parts of the brain as well (Broca’s Area vs. Wernicke’s Area).

In the story,” The right side of Tim’s body was paralyzed and he was having great difficulty trying to talk”. Thus, it suggests that the left hemisphere of Tim’s brain suffered during his stroke, because language processing occur more in the left side if the brain. In general, the left hemisphere concentrates more on tasks that require verbal competence, such as speaking, reading, thinking, and reasoning.

Samuel's motor and sensory deficits are on his right side, therefore his CVA must involve his left cerebral hemisphere.  His type of aphasia also indicates involvement of Broca's area (also on the L cerebral cortex).  The fact that he has both right side sensory and motor deficits and speech deficits, indicate damage to the motor and sensory cortex located on the frontal and parietal lobes, both of which would mainly be supplied with blood by the left middle cerebral artery.  Samuel's CVA is most likely due to a clot there.

I also think that my knowledge of neurophysiology explains why she was feeling certain ways while she was having the stroke. For instance, I know that damage to the Broca's area inhibits the ability to produce speech whereas damage to Wernicke's area inhibits the ability to understand speech. When the author was telling us about her phone call with Dr. Stephen Vincent, I realized that both of language centers in the left side of her brain were damaged because she could not understand what he was saying, but she could barely produce speech herself. Another example of when my knowledge in neurophysiology helped me understand why certain things were happening was when Jill was searching for her doctors card. I know that her ability to read and understand language was damaged, but she was still able to remember and recognize the symbol that was at the top. That was because the right side of her brain was still healthy, and the right hemisphere is responsible to recognizing pictures.

Right side hemisphere strokes effects likely to be seen are paralysis on left side of the body, weak vision, and problems distinguishing basics e.g. tying shoes, buttoning shirts, up, down, left or right and also you can have short term memory. Brain Stem Strokes which are the most uncommon strokes that can happen are at the base of the brain and right above our spinal cord. Some effects after this stroke can give you problems in breathing or heart functions, unbalanced body temperature and body coordination, weakness or paralysis of both arms and legs, difficulty in chewing, swallowing, speaking and poor vision. Any type of stroke whether it is a Brain Stem Stroke or a Ischemic Stroke can be life changing but, after it depends on the progress at the recovery stage which can truly identify the damage and how serious it is. Some risk factors of stroke that you CANNOT change are the increase in your age, gender, family history, ethnicity and the Transient Ischemic Attack (chances of another stroke after a previous stroke). Some treatments that are available to patients with strokes are stroke medications, surgeries and few non surgical procedures. Stroke medications are drugs prescribed to be taken by a administrator some of them are Tissue Plasmogen Activator TPA (given within 3 hours of a stroke caused by a blood clot), clot busters, blood thinners

Marsha is a single mother of three, the youngest being in high school. She works as a sales associate in the women’s fashion section of a larger department store. Last year, Marsha experienced a cerebral vascular accident, or stroke, while on her way to work and was brought in to the hospital. Strokes occur when the blood supply of the brain is disrupted, such as an ischemic attack, thrombosis, or a ruptured blood vessel. When the patient awoke in the hospital, she was unable to understand the staff or her family and expressed difficulty in forming replies. This suggests that the CVA may have occurred in the left hemisphere of the brain, specifically in the Broca and Wernicke’s areas. The medical team suggested that Marsha be released from

Scott (2000) suggests that closed head injury happens due to accident. When the skull has been knocked by a hard surface, the brain is twisted pushed against the skull which resulted contusion and damage to the frontal part of the left side of the brain which is dominant for language. Scott also emphasizes that the skull may be fractured due to the hit but the tissue coverings are unimpaired and there is no penetration of the skull. Nevertheless, patients with closed head injury will not be able to produce speech due to the damage. Therefore, their impairment can be considered as Broca’s aphasia. On the other hand, the other cause that can lead to Broca’s aphasia is open head injury. This injury is more severe than the closed head injury. Kaur and Wolff (2012) report that open head injury may cause diffusion of the skull because the shape of the skull is badly damaged and the tissue beneath it is completely destroyed. As a result, injured patient produces halting speeches which can be considered as Broca’s aphasia.

Effects - Every stroke is different, and each person that is affected by a stroke will suffer from different problems and have different needs. The way in which you are affected depends on where in the brain the stroke occurs and how big it is. A stroke on the right side of the brain generally causes problems to the left side of the body, and a stroke on the left side of the brain causes problems on the right. The brain is dived into several different areas which control different functions, including movement of the body, language, the way in which you think and senses (touch, sight, smell). Due to different arteries supplying blood to different areas of the brain, where abouts the brain is damaged determines which function is affected. Some strokes occur at the base of the brain which generally cause problems with breathing, moving and eating. These factors impact the effect of a stroke and the recovery after; Type of stroke, which area of the brain is damaged, how much tissue is permanently damaged and the person’s health and level of activity before a

A stroke occurs when there is a disruption of blood flow within the brain. A stroke can occur in two ways, one is a blood clot forming which can block a vessel in the brain causing an ischemic stroke. Another way is having a leakage or burst in a blood vessel inside the brain, causing a brain bleed (hemorrhagic stroke). The population stroke most often affects are the African American, Alaska Native, and American Indian populations. Individuals with specific risk factors may also be at a greater risk of getting a stroke. These risk factors include high blood pressure, diabetes, heart diseases, smoking, and family history. There is no specific age of onset for stroke, but the risk of a stroke occurring does increase as an individual gets older.

When trying to detect the onset of a stroke, remembering the acronym F.A.S.T. is important (Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call 911). If stroke symptoms are detected within an individual, they have just a couple hours before it is too late for any preventative treatment options. Unfortunately, the type of stroke cannot be identified except through several tests (physical test, blood test, CT, MRI), which are important because treatments are different for the different types of strokes. It would be hazardous to administer the wrong stroke treatment to an individual having a different kind of stroke. (McIntosh) Seeing the precursors to a stroke and preventing it is not always possible; therefore, the stroke victim may have some damaging effects on their body. Strokes can affect a body in different ways depending on which side the blood clot occurs. If the blood clot occurs in the right side of the brain, the left side of the body and the face will be affected. In addition to paralysis of the body and face, vision problems, memory loss, and quick, inquisitive behavior could result from a blood clot on the right half of the brain. If the clot were to occur in the left side, the right side of the body would suffer speech and language problems, slow behavior, or memory loss. (About Stroke.) Aside from the physical effects of a stroke, a victim might also be affected emotionally undergoing depression, or being unable to control their feelings. (McIntosh) Oftentimes, the outcome of a stroke is irreversible and saddening for everyone

Brain foundation 2011, A-Z of disorders, Stroke, Brain Foundation, Sydney, viewed 30 June 2011, .