Shankar Pattabhiraman
Sneha Sharma
Nationwide Children’s Mechanisms of Human Health and Disease
16 July 2015
Ischemic Stroke: An Overview
Section One: Introduction My name is Shankar Pattabhiraman, and I am an incoming senior at New Albany High School. I will be graduating in June of 2016, and I am thinking of pursuing a chemical or biomedical engineering major in college, or possibly biochemistry or neuroscience. My career goal is to become a physician, or perhaps a physician scientist. I am especially interested in neurology-related fields, and this interest has been reinforced in several ways: participating in the 2015 National Brain Bee Championships competition in Baltimore, MD, volunteering at Riverside Methodist Hospital in the Neurocritical Care Unit and the Stroke and Brain Center, and helping Tony Hall and his friends who suffer from neurological disorders and diseases. I chose to study ischemic strokes because I am interested in neuropathology, both clinically and through research. In addition, through my volunteering at RMH, I have worked with patients who have suffered from strokes, and while the symptoms’ onset is sudden, the events leading up to the stroke are long-term but rarely treatable.
Section Two: Background
Ischemic stroke is the blockage of blood vessels in the brain as a result of blood clots (thrombi), causing the portions of the brain nourished by the vessel and its tributaries to be starved of nutrients, poisoned, and to eventually die (“Symptoms
Cerebral vascular accident or a stroke is the destruction of brain substance, resulting from thrombosis, intracranial hemorrhage, or embolism, which causes vascular insufficiency. In addition, it is an area of the brain denied blood and oxygen that is required and damage is done to a part of the cells. The effect of the patient depends upon where the damage occurs and the severity of the stroke.
What exactly is a stroke? According to American STROKE Association, a stroke is defined as a disease that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. The blood vessels, in the brain, will be obstructed or burst when the
Aneesh Singhal, MD, author of Recognition and management of stroke in young adults and adolescents, from the Clinical Journal of the American Academy of Neurology states
A stroke is a type of cardiovascular disease that affects the cerebral arteries, those blood vessels that carry blood to the brain. A stroke occurs when one of those blood vessels in the brain is obstructed or ruptures flooding the brain with blood. Depriving blood and oxygen to the brain results in those immediate cells death, causing the brain not to function properly. Once parts of the brain stop functioning, it can directly affect the areas of the body controlled (1).
A stroke is the sudden death of brain cells in a localized area due to inadequate blood
Neuroradiological imaging plays an important role in the process of diagnosing ischaemic stroke. The different imaging modalities that can be used to diagnose ischaemic stroke include computed tomography (CT), magnetic imaging resonance (MRI), and radionuclide imaging. In this article, the different modalities that contribute to the diagnostic process are discussed, with a focus on CT scan protocols.
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].
Stroke is often related to other genetic diseases or disorders. Stroke occurs by blood flow being interrupted to the brain by either a clot or a bleed on the brain. The brain cells die quickly if blood flow is blocked (Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, 2016a). Ischemic stroke occurs when blood flow is blocked by clots or particles (CDC, 2016a). Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when the brain has a bleed from blood vessels bursting (CDC, 2016a). Stroke can leave individuals with deficits and dependent on others for care. Stroke can cause death.
All strokes are caused by an obstruction of blood getting to the brain. The ischemic stroke is caused by a blot clot similar to what happens during a heart attack where blood can’t get through because of plaque buildup that blocks the artery. Hemorrhagic stroke are instead of a blockage a blood vessel bursts and can be caused by a head injury that cause a brain bleed. Transient ischemic strokes are “mini” strokes that happen when there is a blockage but the blood flow is restored after short period of
An ischemic stroke is caused by a blood vessel that has been blocked (for example, by a clot), whereas a hemorrhagic stroke is caused by a vessel bursting and bleeding into the brain (Kolb & Whishaw, 2012, p. 45). Although both types of strokes result in the same ending - the brain not getting the fluids that it needs- they are caused by extremely different events. In addition, ischemic strokes are more common and typically less fatal. An estimated eighty to ninety percent of stroke suffering patients seen in hospitals have endured an ischemic stroke. For this reason, the primary treatment for all strokes is to give the individual a blood thinner. However, if an individual is suffering from a hemorrhagic stroke, this type of treatment will only make the situation worse, and likely lead to
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
Ischemic Stroke is death of an area of brain tissue that is a result of an inadequate blood and oxygen supply to the brain due to blockage of an artery. High blood pressure is the leading cause of this type of stroke and responsible for about 87% of strokes that occur. This type of stroke can happen within 2
A stroke occurs when an artery bursts or becomes closed when a blood clot lodges in it and blood flow is interrupted to that part of the brain. Blood circulating to that area of the brain served by the artery stops at the point of rupture, and the brain tissue in that area dies or is damaged. The effects of a stroke are determined by which portion of the brain is affected and how much damage occurs. A stroke can cause memory loss, speech impairment, reasoning ability, loss of vision, paralysis, coma, and
Because of the complex anatomy and physiology of the brain and its vasculature, the clinical manifestations of stroke are highly variable. Evidence suggests that gender influences the various clinical presentations of ischemic stroke and how they respond to treatment. 7 Women tend to have a higher overall lifetime risk of stroke as well as higher rates of post stroke disability, depression, and mortality in comparison to men.7 Approximately, 6.8 million individuals in the United States have had a stroke, most of which are women (3.8 million).3
According to American Stroke Association (ASA), stroke is a disease that affects the arteries that lead to the brain. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. As a result, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs which causes brain cells to die (American Stroke Association, n.d.). Depending on where the stroke occurs in the brain, the level/type of impairment differs with the individual. For example, if a stroke occurs in the back of the brain, it is likely that some disability involving vision will result. Overall, the effects of a stroke depend primarily on the location of the obstruction and the extent of brain tissue affected (American Stroke Association, n.d.).