Post-Stroke Patients: A Case Study

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.

It is important that the type of stroke is diagnosed quickly to reduce the damage done to the brain and also to determine the right type of treatment because one treatment for one kind of stroke can be harmful to someone who has had a different kind. A number of different medications may be given at the hospital to help break up the clot and prevent the formation of new clots. For Ischemic stroke the treatment can begin with drugs to break down clots and prevent further ones from forming. Aspirin can be given, along with an injection of a tissue plasminogen activator (TPA). TPA works by dissolving clots but it needs to be injected within 4.5 hours of stroke symptoms once they have presented themselves. Hemorrhagic stroke treatment can begin with drugs being given to reduce the pressure in the brain, overall blood pressure, prevent seizures and prevent sudden constrictions of blood vessels.(http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/stroke/diagnosis-treatment/treatment/txc-20117296) Because strokes are life-changing events that can affect a person both physically and emotionally, temporarily or permanently. After a stroke,

First of all, the from my perspective getting sleep is the most important thing in the world, we all know the body and brain won’t be able keep up with what your trying to do on a daily basis. What does a person has to gain from keeping yourself up 24 hours a day just to test a so called Miracle Pill?! The drawback from this pill is that the body will shut down eventually and there could complications with your body by the side effects of the pill, by putting your life at risk and jeopardizing a test that could ultimately back fire is dangerous. Just imagine the what could happen to someone abusing this pill and a family member has to find a love one dead because of a simple pill he or she wanted to take, in my opinion it’s just another peer pressure tactic to get someone especially a young person to try a product that should be taken.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia known today. The term “dementia” refers to a variety of conditions that arise from the loss of nerve cell function and/or nerve cell death in the brain, including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Parkinson’s disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and other types of mixed dementia. Although all types of dementia arise from neuronal damage and/or death, each form of dementia is associated with distinct brain abnormalities and symptom patterns. Once a patient has been diagnosed with dementia, a physician must conduct further tests in order to determine the exact form of dementia that is present. Recent research indicates that many individuals,

The stroke from a blocked artery is called ischemia, and the ruptured artery is hemorrhagic. As time is critical after the cerebrovascular accident, lack of treatment will lead to brain cell apoptosis and neural injuries are permanent. Evaluation using brief tests of cognitive impairment includes analysis of executive functioning, memory, language, and visuospatial performance, neuropsychiatric as well as depressive symptoms (Grant and Adams, 2009).

stroke is an acute episode of focal dysfunction of the brain, retina, or spinal cord lasting longer than 24 h, or of any duration if imaging (CT or MRI) or autopsy show focal infarction or haemorrhage relevant to the symptoms ,which is a leading cause of death and long term disability worldwide. It results from transient or permanent disruption of cerebral blood flow, leading to necrotic death of the brain tissue supplied by the affected artery. It activates an inflammatory condition in the affected area, marked by infiltration of inflammatory cells. Inflammation can induce an apoptotic cell death in the transition region between necrotic and normal tissue, so called penumbra, for a fairly prolonged period of time.[1].

Treatment of stroke, in general and ischemic stroke specifically, in particular, is aone of the most pressing issues in both nursing and medical science today. This is due to the fact that there are very few available treatment options for the various kinds of stroke. Acute ischemic stroke carriesis a prominent medical issue with a high risk of death or morbidity (Kakma, Stofko, Binning, Liebman & Veznedaroglu, 2014). Stroke, including ischemic and other types, is recognized, further, as a one of the most prominent leading causes of disabilities (Saver et al., 2015). While cerebral infarction resulting from thrombotic occlusion of brain arteries is the most common stroke type, ischemic stroke is also quite common. Each year ischemic stroke affects over a half-million victims in the United States alone;. o Of this group, about 150,000 deaths occur, along with 300,000 victims suffering from any number of disabilities following a stroke (CITE)after the fact.

Often times, doctors will typically call a stroke a “brain attack” because the events that transpire resemble those that occur during a heart attack (Wang and Aamodt, 2010). Blood supplies a constant source of oxygen to the brain. However, a stroke occurs when that blood supply to any given part of the brain is suddenly ceased. If the blood supply to the brain is suddenly interrupted this leads to the deprivation of oxygen and glucose to that area. The brain cells that are prevented from acquiring these substances, especially oxygen, will be quickly killed off. Strokes can be categorized into two classes: Ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes (Lindley, 2008).

Although the understanding of mTBI pathophysiology is incomplete, it is suggested that anxiety disorder have generally linked to the abnormalities in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex (1). As a result, multiple animal models have been used to test different behavioral outcomes to evaluate the pathological effects cause by the injury model (4). While other experiments test anxiety behavior by exposing rodents to varying conditioned stimuli like electric shock or loud noises, the elevated plus maze (EPM) rely upon unconditioned fear of height and open spaces (P). Thus, the elevated plus maze is normally used to assess rodents’ innate anxiety (4). EPM also facilitates in assessing “anxiogenic drugs” as well as “anxiolytic drugs” of multiple pharmacological agents. However, methodological differences in “age, strain, or sex of the subjects includes housing or testing conditions” often attribute to the inconsistent outcomes (4). In this experiment, EPM is the primary animal model use to determine anxiety levels in induced repetitive mTBI female mice as compared to sham

Post stroke dementia (PSD) is a common complication of stroke that affects up to one-third of stroke patients (Wong 2017). In all types of dementia, people will experience problems with cognitive functioning and are likely to experience behavioral and psychological symptoms. Dementia is triggered when the brain is injured by trauma or diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease or a series of strokes or transient ischemic attacks (mini strokes). The symptoms someone with dementia experience will depend on the parts of the brain that are affected and the disease causing the

A recent article from BigThink, written by Philip Perry, discusses a group of researchers who have found the source of anxiety within the brain. Mazen Kheirbek, Ph.D, the head researcher of this study, stuck a miniature microscope in the brains of mice in order to find what he is now calling “anxiety cells”. Kheirbek put the mice in strenuous situations that would cause them to have anxiety, he then looked for the part of the brain that had the most activity; thus he was able to find the location of the cells. This new discovery is a big step in creating better medications for anxiety sufferers. Current anxiety medication prescribed by physicians are only partially effective at controlling anxiety; Kheirbek states that medication that can

The hypothalamus is the part of the brain that controls the core temperature of the human body. This organ which is located above the brainstem ensures that the body is kept at a temperature between 97.5 and 98.9 °F (36.4°C and 37.2°C). Small proteins known as pyrogens can stimulate prostaglandin release in the body and increase body temperature beyond this range. 1 These increases can be medication induced or due to other underlying pathophysiology. An increase beyond this temperature range can be classified as a fever. In infants, the gold standard for classification of a fever is a rectal temperature greater than 100.4°F. It is important to treat fever in an appropriate manner because infants with elevated body temperatures are at an increased risk of having febrile seizures especially if they have a history of these episodes. Acetaminophen is an over the counter medication that can be used to reduce fever in patients by inhibiting cyclooxygenase.

. Overview of processes involved ischemic stroke and high potential therapeutic microRNAs. Cerebral ischemia includes several injurious mechanisms (excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis) to confer neuronal injury. Potential therapeutic areas to compensate these pathogenic process include promoting angiogenesis, neurogenesis and neuroprotection which they are as recovery and repair

What is a stroke and how is it related to the aging brain? A stroke happens when the blood supply to your brain is interrupted or it is reduced, depriving the brain tissues of oxygen and food (Bendheim, P.E. (2009). Within minutes of a stroke brain cells begin to die. Early action can minimize brain damage and potential complications. A stroke can cause temporary or permanent disabilities, depending on how long the brain suffers the lack of blood flow (Perlmutter, David. (2004). Some complications after a stroke are; paralyzation (loss of muscle movement), memory loss, and trouble talking. Paralyzation is due to the lack of blood flow to the brain, a patient can lose movement in one side of the body. Stroke can damage too many parts of the brain, and it can start an early brain aging. A stroke can cause a patient to loss control over the way muscles in the mouth move, have difficult talking and eating (Bendheim, P.E. (2009). But one can try to prevent a stroke by taking care of their high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking.

In my life I have come across several experiences that have shaped certain aspects of my being. My beliefs, emotions, and personality have been molded by these events. These events include my parents’s divorce, my friendships, and the dichotomy between my American culture and the Mexican culture my extended family lives in. I believe that every single person that has ever grace the Earth with their presence has experienced the same thing. The events they have faced have uniquely influenced every aspect of their person. This currently has begun in my life.