Lecture 15: From Apoplexy to Stroke

Question 1

Former name for stroke?

Answer 1

Apoplexy

Question 2

Bloodletting for strokes

Answer 2

• leads back to Four Humors
• Galen thought apoplexy affected blood flow to brain, so he thought blood letting would again remedy the situation
• eventually discovered that brain damage was caused by burst vessels & blood letting would put body back in balance

Question 3

Transient Ischemic Attacks

Answer 3

• like a “mini stroke”; comes and goes quickly
• usually caused by blocked arteries to brain (clots)
• should be taken seriously because it can happen again
• Thrombus: formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel
• Embolism: lodging of a blood clot (an embolus) at a site distant to origin

Question 4

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Answer 4

• when blood clots form in legs when you sit for very long periods of time without activity; blocks blood flow
• blood clots, breaks off and travels up body into lungs
• leading cause of pulmonary embolism (block blood flow to lungs)
• after embolus reaches lungs, it travels through heart and gets lodged in blood vessels of lungs
• accounts for ~15% of sudden deaths

Question 5

Ischemic Stroke

Answer 5

• blockage of blood flow to brain, causing brain cell death

- responsible for ~85% of strokes

Question 6

Hemorrhagic Stroke

Answer 6

• when a blood vessels bursts in brain & accumulates and compresses brain
• weakened vessel wall raptures, causing bleeding in brain
• skull protects brain but gives little room to swell
• Responsible for ~15% of strokes

Question 7

Ischemic Stroke Damage

Answer 7

-causes ischemia (deprivation of blood)

Question 8

Hemorrhagic Stroke Damage

Answer 8

• Ischemia
• Damage from burst
• Pressure damage in brain
• further obstruction

Question 9

Similarities of ischemia and hemorrhagic stroke damage

Answer 9

• both cause neurological damage caused by the death of cells in brain
• if left untreated: cells will continue to die over the course of several hours

Question 10

Stroke (cerebrovascular accident)

Answer 10

A rapid loss ofbrainfunction due to disturbance in theblood supplyto the brain that lasts longer than 24 hours.

Question 11

Why have we seen an increase in the number of strokes?

Answer 11

• risk factors such as smoking have increased

- more elderly population due to longer lifespans