Impact of Strokes and the Cognitive Mind
Introduction
While engaging this course and learning about the cognitive dissonance, it has provided the basis of the subject of research and discussion of strokes and the effect it has on the cognitive functions of the brain. Additionally, a personal summary will be shared and an in-depth review about the cognitive mind and what happen when a medical condition occurs. As the story begins one needs to understand how the cognitive development begins as a baby and the discrete stages of cognitive development, or “the emergence of the ability to think and understand”(Schater, et al, Page 319).
Our textbook further describes that between the stages of infancy to adulthood there are three things that
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Signs of a stroke are blurred vision or most commonly blurred speech. One could lose their balance or unable to walk. Most strokes are caused by a blood clot in the brain. When a stroke occurs, one needs to measure how much of the cognitive dissonance has been affected and what are the significant changes. The American Heart Association states the effects of the cognitive dissonance after stroke occurs:
“Cognitive deficits are changes in thinking, like difficulty solving problems. This category also includes dementia and memory problems, as well as many kinds of communication challenges”(AMA, 2016) One can further understand that communication is altered when a stroke occurs. Research shows that the location of a stroke or blood clot in the brain makes a difference in whether or not, how affected the patient is and the struggle in starting the recovery process.
Real-life Experience
In spring of 2002, my father-n-law had a stroke. At the time, we were not sure if he would survive the incident, however, in hindsight, it may have been better that he did not, but he did and the aftermath was a hard consequence. His stroke was severe enough that the hospital had to put him under, so that a more efficient evaluation could be conducted. A transfer to Blodgett Hospital
The most common causes of strokes are thrombosis. This is when a clot forms in one of the arteries, mostly in the carotid in the neck and the vertebral artery. The blood is thick and moves very slowly through the artery. The thrombus will form on the damaged area of the artery wall and will cut off the flow of blood to the brain. The area of the artery that is damaged is cause by arteriosclerosis. This form of
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.
A stroke is a life changing disease and sudden attack of weakness to one side of the body resulting from a interruption to the flow of blood going to the brain that can be a minor attack and resolved in a few days or major attack leaving the person with physical disabilities and cognitive deficit (McFerran 2008). Therefore, stroke can affect the quality of life of an individual from the lack of communication, mobility and independence and intern can cause one to become depressed. This essay is concerning the case of Mr. Alfred Smith who was
In many cases, strokes can be diagnosed, prevented and treatable. Symptoms of a stroke can occur quickly and may cause: sudden numbness, tingling, or weakness, or paralysis in your face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of your body. Sudden: vision changes, trouble speaking (slurred speech), confusion or trouble understanding simple statements, problems with walking or balance, severe headache. It's recommended to call a doctor or 911 even if these symptoms last for a short amount of time because a transient ischemic attack, or mini stroke may have occurred. The transient ischemic attack may be a precursor to a stroke occurring soon. Catching these symptoms can dramatically increase chances of prevention additional damage to the body (2).
Strokes are the 5th leading cause of death in the US, with one person dying every 4 minutes as a result. For African Americans, stoke is the 3rd leading cause of death.(http://www.cdc.gov/stroke/facts.htm) It is estimated that About 795,000 people have a stroke each year; about one every 40 seconds - there are many medical conditions that can cause a stroke and it is estimated that 8 out of 10 strokes can be prevented. However, there are some things that cannot be controlled when you are predisposed to
A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is blocked. The tissue does not get enough of oxygen and nutrients within minutes, the brain cells begin to die. A stroke is a medical emergency, and prompt treatment is crucial. The good news is a stroke can be treatable and is more preventable. More people live longer now than in the past years. Stroke is known as the silent killer. Many people ignore the symptoms and cause more damage to their body. People with stroke have trouble speaking and understanding, paralysis or numbness of the face arm or leg. If you ever encounter anyone with these systems, please call 911 imminently for help.
Strokes are caused by pathophysiological changes. The two major mechanisms of stroke consist of ischemia and haemorrhage. Ischemia is when there is no oxygen or not, merely enough oxygen to fuel the tissue level in the body. Haemorrhage in the brain, causing strokes can be due to non-traumatic intracerebral haemorrhage (Shah, MD, n.d.) (see appendix 1). This essay will further discuss the implications of strokes on a cellular, organ and system level. Explain the clinical presentation of the signs and symptoms of strokes and how the condition will be managed by a paramedic.
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).
When hearing the word stroke many people think of a traumatic event, but they don’t actually know what one is. According to WebMD,
For example, in the book, Dr. Bolte Taylor mentioned how her cognitive abilities were tested by how quickly and easily she could recall information of how her mind worked to try to find the information inside itself. Since the majority of strokes are in the left hemisphere, language is usually impaired so it doesn’t make sense for doctors to test the stroke patients on how quickly they can recall information. Instead, they should look at how the brain tries to recover and how the brain is working. A stroke victim still has lots of information in their head they just need to use a strategy to uncover that information. In the appendix of, My Stroke of Insight, there is a list of forty things she needed most during her recovery that is basically a list of how she and other stroke victims need to be treated in order to get the most out of their recovery, I think this is an important list for both medical professionals and families to read so they know how to best help the stroke victim.
Strokes occur when blood flow to the brain ceases, causing brain cells to begin to die within minutes. In some instances, people who suffer from a stroke lose at least one function. Although all functions are important, there are some functions that are more crucial than others. If I were to suffer a stroke, there are three that would have the largest impact on my life: movement, memory, and emotion. I feel that the function that would affect my life the most if it were lost would be memory. Memories are linked to emotions, personality, and future decisions, all of which are extremely important.
Stroke previously known as Cerebrovascular accident is well-defined as ‘an abrupt cessation of cerebral circulation in one or more of the blood vessels distributing the brain. Due to the interruption or diminish of oxygen supply causes serious damage or necrosis in the brain tissues (Jauch, Kissella & Stettler, 2005). There is a presence of one or more symptoms such as weakness or numbness or paralysis of the face, arm or leg, difficulty speaking or swallowing, dizziness, loss of balance, loss of vision, sudden blurring or decreased vision in one or both eyes and headache. Stoke is categorised into two types, Ischaemic and haemorrhagic
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.
A 67 years old retired executive named Robert enjoys spending most of his time in his garden. One-day, while he's out in his garden, are working his right hand begins to feel numb, and he's unable to speak. So he goes to his wife, and she calls for an emergency to arrive and help her husband Robert. The ambulance comes and takes Robert to the hospital. Robert is admitted to the hospital with Cerebrovascular Accident, which is a stroke in medical terminology. What happens is that blood to the brain causes rupture of an artery to the brain. (www.ncbi.nlm.nig.gov). Robert is diagnosed with an ischemic stroke and what happens is that the brain becomes blocked of blood flow. The symptoms in ischemic stroke are numbness, weakness
Stroke affects everybody differently, and it is difficult to say how much of a recovery is possible. Many stroke survivors experience the most dramatic recovery during their stay in hospital in the weeks after their stroke.