13/02/2015

Question 0

What are the symptoms of Posterior Circulation Syndrome (POCS)?

Answer 0

One of:
Cerebellar or brainstem syndrome
Loss of consciousness
Isolated Homonymous hemaniopia

Question 1

What are the symptoms of lacunar syndrome? (LACS)

Answer 1

One of:
Unilateral weakness (and/or sensory deficit) of face and arm, arm and leg or all three?
Pure sensory stroke
Ataxic hemiparesis

Question 2

What are the symptoms of Partial Anterior Circulation Syndrome (PACS)

Answer 2

Two of:
Unilateral weakness (and/or sensory deficit) of face, arm and leg
Homonymous hemaniopia
Higher cerebral dysfunction (dysphasia, visuospatial dysfunction)

Question 3

What are the symptoms of total anterior circulation stroke (TACS)?

Answer 3

All three of:
Unilateral weakness (and/or sensory loss) of face, arm and leg.
Homonymous hemaniopia
Higher cerebral dysfunction (dysphasia, visuospatial disorder)

Question 4

What is TIA?

Answer 4

Acute loss of focal cerebral or ocular function, with symptoms lasting less than 24 hours.
Thought to be due to an inadequate cerebral or ocular blood supply as a result of low blood flow, a thrombosis or other cause. More recent definitions have stipulated that in TIA there is no infarction of the brain tissue, and that the symptoms are ‘transient’ rather than stipulating a timescale. This is important, because if you diagnose stroke, it affects insurance and the way you counsel about prognosis. There is therefore some disagreement about the exact definition.