3-12: Stroke

Question 1

Identify the two causes of stroke.

Answer 1

1. Ischemia: a blood clot or other blockage. 80% of all strokes are of this type.
2. Hemorrhage: a rupture of an artery in the brain.
   B) Explain how aspirin reduces the risk of stroke.
   Aspirin is a blood thinner that prevents coagulation. Following a stroke, aspirin can reduce the risk of recurrent strokes by as much as one-third.

Question 2

List the risk factors for stroke.

Answer 2

Risk factors include high blood pressure, heart disease, cigarette smoking, a high red-blood cell count, transient ischemic attacks (little strokes that produce temporary weakness, clumsiness, loss of feeling, loss of vision, speech difficulty), age, ethnicity (African-Americans have a high risk), prior stroke, family history, anxiety and depression.

Question 3

Discuss three common consequences of stroke.

Answer 3

Motor problems: Because the right side of the brain controls movement in the left half of the body and the left side of the brain control movement in the right half of the body, loss of movement can occur on the side opposite to the side of the brain that was damaged in the stroke.

Cognitive problems: The cognitive difficulties that the stroke victim faces depend on which side of the brain was damaged. Left-hemisphere damage can result in aphasia, deficits in short-term memory, and difficulty learning new tasks; right-hemisphere damage can result in deficits in visual processing, judging distances, anosognosia (not being aware that there even are deficits) and difficulty understanding material that is read (dyslexia).

Emotional problems: Patients with left-brain damage often react to their disorder with anxiety and depression; patients with right-brain damage more commonly seem indifferent to their situation.

Question 4

Name four types of interventions used with stroke patients.

Answer 4

1. Psychotherapy, including treatment for depression
2. Cognitive remedial training to restore intellectual functioning
3. Movement therapy
4. Training in specific skills, such as driving

Question 5

Explain how neurorehabilitation works.

Answer 5

Neurorehabilitation depends on brain plasticity, which is the brain’s ability to rewire itself so that new areas take over for damaged ones.