Case 5 Flashcards
What is a stroke?
Sudden attack of weakness usually affecting one side of the body due to interrupted flow of blood to the brain
Deficit Lasts more than 24hrs or leads to death
What are the two types of stroke?
Ischaemic - thrombus/embolism prevents flow (80%)
Haemorrhagic - rupture of a cerebral artery wall
What are stroke risk factors?
Asian and black African
Age (>40)
Male
Hypertension
Hypercholesterolemia
Diabetes
Cigarette smoking
Family history
CVD
What is ischaemic strokes linked to?
Neurological deficits, headaches, seizures
What is the penumbra?
Area surrounding immediate area of infarct
Blood supply is compromised but not cut off and cells are not dead but under threat
What three things cause ischaemic damage?
Neurotransmitters - glutamate
Ions - calcium and sodium
Free radicals - abnormal oxygen molecules
The mechanisms that lead to ischaemic damage are?
Excitotoxicity
Reperfusion injury
Free radical formation (oxidative stress)
Apoptosis
Inflammation
Peri-infarct depolarisation
What is excitotoxicity?
Hypoxia leads to decrease ATP production hence failure of pump channels
Influx of calcium and sodium ions causes increase glutamate release
Calcium ions cause formation of free radicals
Results in necrosis at onset of injury
How does calcium ion overload lead to free radical production?
Mitochondrial injury
Increased production of Nitric Oxide
Protease Activation
Phospholipase activation
All these lead to cell death via apoptosis
What does the production of free radicals result in?
Lipid ms and proteins peroxidation
DNA damage
How does apoptosis occur?
Oxidative stress > mitochondrial injury > cytochrome C released from mitochondria > paracaspases activated to cascades > DNA damage and apoptosis
Why does inflammation occur?
Due to potent inflammatory response caused by brain damage
What is the charesteristic of inflammation?
Heat (Calor); redness (rubor); swelling (tumor); pain (dolor); lost of function (function laesa)
What are investigations for stroke?
- FAST
- CT and MRI - CT best for haemorrhage, MRI for infarction
What are the clinical features of a stroke?
Limb weakness on contralateral side, contralateral hemiplegia/hemiparesis w/ facial weakness, aphasia (when dominant hemisphere is affected); extensor plantar response
What is a Doppler ultrasound for?
Assessing blood flow to neck and head - if internal carotid artery stereos is present a carotid bruit is heard
Electrocardiogram identifies cardioembolic source
Echocardiogram looks for structural abnormalities or thrombi
Blood test for cardiac enzymes to detect myocardial infarction
How is an ischaemic stroke treated?
Drugs for hypertension, heart disease and diabetes (propranolol and ramipril)
Endarterectomy
Speech therapy
Anticoagulants (warfarin/heparin)
Antiplatelet agents (aspirin)
Thrombolysis (rule out haemorrhage with CT and then administer tPA w/in 4.5hrs of stroke onset)
How to treat haemorrhage stroke?
Anticonvulsant
Antihypertensive (reduce BP and other risks of heart disease)
Osmotic diuretic (reduce intracranial pressure)
What is a Transient Ischaemic Attack?
Focal neurological deficit lasting less than 24hrs and causing temporary ischaemia
What is amauroses fungax?
Sudden loss of vision in one eye due to embolus in retinal arteries
What is transient global amnesia?
Episodes of amnesia/confusion lasting several hrs due to posterior circulation ischaemia
More common in over 65yo
Over what period of time do some patients regain function affected by stroke?
3-6months
What is neuroplasticity?
Extraordinary ability of the brain to modify its own structure and function following changes within the body or in external environment
It is strongest during childhood (this is a why childhood stroke recovers quickly)
This is built upon synaptic pruning - removing weak synaptic connections and keeping strong ones
Where are ischaemic events more common?
Middle cerebral artery
What is the different types of intracranial haemorrhages?
- subarachnoid: headaches, Nuchal rigidity, photophobia, neurologic deficits
- subdural: headaches, drowsiness, confusion caused by rupture of bridging veins
- extradural: ipsilateral dilated pupil and contralateral hemiparesis caused by rupture of middle meningeal artery second to temporal bone fractures
What is carotid stenosis ?
Narrowing of internal carotid caused by atherosclerotic disease or sudden drop in systemic blood pressure
Leads to:
MCA - contralateral face-arm or face-arm-leg weakness
ACA - leg weakness
Ophathalmic artery - amauroses Fungax