Lecture 5: Cerebrovascular Disease: Chapter 14 Flashcards
What is a cerebrovascular disease?
Collection of symptoms that result from an interruption in the supply of blood in the brain, known as a stroke
What are 2 causes of strokes? What percentage fits with each?
- Infarct: obstructed artery (80% of stroke patients)
- Hemorrhage: bleeding following rupture in an artery (20% of stroke patients)
What are 3 visible effects of a stroke which indicate you have to call emergency services?
FAST:
- Face dropping
- Arm weakness
- Speech difficulty
=> Time to call
How can you quickly see the distinction between an infarct and a hemorrhage?
With a CT scan: blood shows up which on a normal CT
What are 4 symptoms the person having the stroke experiences?
Sudden onset of:
1. Headache
2. Loss of mental abilities
3. Loss of strenght/paralysis
4. Confusion, disorientation, consciousness
What is the prevalence of strokes?
Worldwide a stroke every 2 seconds
About 40.000 strokes in the Netherlands yearly
Worldwide stroke is the second leading cause of death in people over 60 years of age
What are 2 major risk factors of a stroke?
- Age >65
- Hypertension leading to artherosclerosis (also caused by lifestyle factors)
What are some lifestyle factors that contribute to a higher risk of a stroke?
Obesity, smoking, sleep apnea, heavy alcohol use, high cholesterol, diabetes, lack of exercise
What is the difference between an ischemic and a hemorrhagic stroke?
Ischemic/infarct: area is deprived of blood because of obstruction of blood flow to a part of the brain
Hemorrhagic: wall of vessel ruptures causing bleeding in the brain
Why do young strokes occur and why are they increasing in numbers?
Mostly congenital factors
Increase mostly because of lifestyle factors
What is an infarct? And what is ischemia?
Obstruction of artery that leads to tissue death
Ischemia = tissue death
What are the 3 causes of an infarct?
- Embolism: blood clot
- Perfusion: inadequate blood flow
- Stenosis: narrowing of blood vessels
What leads to small lacunar infarcts?
Stenosis: narrowing of blood vessels
What is the most common location of an infarct?
The middle cerebral artery
What is TIA as an abbreviation? How long does it last and what are the 2 consequences?
Transient Ischemic Attack
Neurological symptoms disappear within 24 hours
Consequences:
1. Subtle cognitive deficits
2. Risk: 30% of patients suffer a stroke within the next 5 years
Why will the number of people living with the consequences of a stroke increase further?
There is an increased prevalence and decreased mortality (new treatments)
How does embolism work?
Obstruction of artery of thrombi (blood plates clot) or calcifications in the vascular wall of the blood vessels
What is thrombolysis and until when can you do this?
Injecting drug (blood thinner) in the bloodstream in order to disperse the clot in the blood vessel. The effect is limited with regard to cognitive effects
Possible until 4 hours after the onset of the stroke
What is thrombectomy?
Removing blood clot with a catheter
Why is it important to know if a stroke is ischemic or hemorrhagic?
Because of the different treatments. Ischemic strokes can be treated with blood thinners, but that would be a real bad idea when someone has a hemorrhagic stroke where you want to stop the bleeding
What are the 2 causes of impairment in cognitive functions after a stroke?
- Damage to area of the infarct
- Diaschisis: impaired functioning in areas connected to the area of the infarct
What are the 2 types of cerebral hemorrhage?
- Intracranial
- Subarachnoid
What is the difference in cognitive impairments between hemorrhages and ischemia?
Hemorrhages: more diffuse impairments
Ischemia: more clear impairments
What are 5 causes of intracranial bleeding?
- Stroke, hemorrhagic
- Tumor
- Degenerative conditions
- TBI
- Arteriovenous malformation