A stroke can be described as "brain attack". It occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery or a blood vessel breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. When this occurs, the brain cells begin to die and brain damage occurs. When this happens the abilities controlled by that area of the brain are lost. It can be speech, movement and memory. How much does the stroke effect the person depends on few factors, for instants how severe the damage was and where the stroke occurs.
2. Briefly explain the differences between the three different types of strokes.
- Ischemic stroke (clots): It occurs as a result of an obstruction within a blood vessel supplying blood to brain. The fatty deposits are formed within the blood vessel. This stroke occurs in 87 percent of all cases.
- Hemorrgaic stroke (bleeds): It results from a weakened vessel that ruptures and bleeds into the surrounding brain. The blood accumulates and compresses the surrounding brain tissue. This type of stroke occurs in 13 percent of all cases.
- TIA (transient ischemic attack): While transient ischemic attack (TIA) is often labeled “mini-stroke,” it is more accurately characterized as a “warning stroke,” a warning you should take very seriously. It is caused by a clot, but in TIA the clot is temporary and causes no permanent injury of the brain.
3. Identify some of the most common risk factors - in other words, who is most likely to have a stroke?
There are some risk factors that you cannot change like:
- Age: the older you get the higher chance you have to get a stroke
- Gender: male are most likely to get a stroke
- Race: African Americans are most likely to have a stroke than Caucasians
- High blood pressure - the most dominant stroke risk factor and the easiest to modify is high blood pressure.
- Smoking - doubles your stroke risk.
- Weight - Being over-weight predisposes you to high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes, all of which increase stroke risk.
- Diabetes - makes people susceptible to cardiovascular diseases, which can result in stroke
- Prior stroke or TIA - increases your risk of having another stroke
- Heart disease - heart conditions, especially atrial fibrillation (an irregular heart beat), have a greater stroke risk
Stroke damage in the brain can affect the entire body resulting in mild to severe disabilities. These include paralysis, problems with thinking, problems with speaking, emotional problems, and pain.
5. What is brain plasticity and what does it mean in terms of recovering from a stroke?
The brain has a remarkable ability to reorganize itself throughout the human life span. The most extraordinary example may be the remodeling of the cerebral cortex after an injury in which a large part of it simply dies. It is not uncommon for stroke patients who have lost the ability to speak or to move a limb to regain function after several weeks of convalescence. How does the brain recover? Using neuro-imaging techniques, Azari and Seitz found a multi-stage process of recovery during which different parts of the brain compensate for the injured region at different times. The results may have implications for therapeutic interventions after a stroke.
