Lecture 10: Stroke Flashcards
What are specific brain disorders?
focal damage to brain
What are examples of specific brain injuries?
gun shot wounds: confines damage to path of bullet
stroke: specific brain regions deprived of oxygen
lesion method: inferences about normal brain function
What are generalized brain disorders?
distributed/diffuse brain damage
generalized brain disorders affect more than one cognitive system at a time and their effects are not identical
thus, emphasis is on making subtle, but important observations in their neuropsychological manifestations
What are the characteristics of a stroke?
ischemic versus hemorrhagic
loss of blood supply
both result in infract
intracranial pressure: no place for the blood to go when it’s pooled
What is an ischemic stroke?
blockage in vessel
blood clot or plaque
build up
80% of strokes
What is a hemorrhagic stroke?
a bleed
burst in a vessel stops regular blood flow
What is a transient ischemic attack (TIA)?
comes and goes
for a period of time it looks like a stroke and then symptoms resolve
can be a warning sign for something bigger
What is Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA)?
need a CT scan as quickly as possible to see if its a block or bleed; if it’s a hemorrhagic stroke medication should not be given
needs to be given within first 3 - 4.5 hours
door-to-needle time: time you arrive at hospital to the time you get the drug
stroke ambulance: “time is brain”
What is endovascular recanalization or thrombectomy?
following tPA they thread through the artery to retrieve the clot from the brain
stent retriever
within the first 6 hours and only tPA
What are lifestyle risk factors for strokes?
exercise
diet
weight (increased weight puts stress on heart)
smoking contributes to hardening of arteries
stress
alcohol
What are the sudden onset symptoms of stroke?
face: is it drooping?
arms: can you raise both?
speech: is it slurred or jumbled?
What are additional symptoms of stroke?
sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech
sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
sudden severe headache with no known cause
