Neuroscience - Stroke Flashcards
What is an infarct (in-fahrkt) or infarction (in-fahrk-shuh n)?
A small localized area of dead tissue resulting from failure of blood supply. Infarction or Ischemic stroke are both names for a stroke caused by a blockage in a blood vessel in the brain. This is the most common type of stroke. An infarct can be cause by a blood clot that forms in a vein (thrombus) or a blood clot or fatty plaque formed elsewhere in the body breaks off which then travels to the brain where it blocks a blood vessel (embolus).
What is an ischemic stroke (ih-skee-mik), or what is meant by ischemia (ih-skee-mee-uh)?
There are two types of strokes - ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic stroke, also known as an infarct, is the most common type. It is usually caused by a blood clot that blocks or plugs a blood vessel in the brain. This keeps blood from flowing to the brain. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die. There are two types of ischemic strokes: thrombus (a clot forms at the location of the stroke) or embolus (a clot travels and gets lodged at the location of the stroke)
What is a TIA?
TIA, or transient ischemic attack, is a “mini stroke” that occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery for a short time. The only difference between a stroke and TIA is that with TIA the blockage is transient (temporary). TIA symptoms occur rapidly and last a relatively short time. Unlike a stroke, when a TIA is over, there’s no permanent injury to the brain. There’s no way to tell if symptoms of a stroke will lead to a TIA or a major stroke.
What is a hemorrhagic stroke (hemorrhagic, hem-er-ij-ic, hemorrhage, hem-er-ij)?
A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a weakened blood vessel rupture. The two types of weakened blood vessels that usually cause hemorrhagic stroke are aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs).
What is an arteriovenous malformation?
An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a cluster of abnormally formed blood vessels. Any one of these vessels can rupture, also causing bleeding into the brain. An aneurysm is a ballooning of a weakened region of a blood vessel. If left untreated, the aneurysm continues to weaken until it ruptures and bleeds into the brain. The most common cause of hemorrhagic stroke is uncontrolled high blood pressure.
What is a thrombus (throm-buh s) or what is meant by thrombotic (throm-bot-tic)?
A thrombus is a blood clot that forms in a vein whereas an embolus is anything that moves through the vein / blood vessels until it reaches a vessel that is too small to let it pass.
What is an embolism (em-bol-ism), embolus (em-bol-us) and what is meant by embolic (em-bol-ik)?
An embolism is the lodging of a blockage-causing piece of material, inside a blood vessel. The embolus maybe a fat globule, a bubble of air or other gas, a piece of a blot clot that broke off, or foreign material.
What does lacunar (luh·koo·nr) mean?
Lacunar stroke or lacunar infarct is the most common type of ischemic stroke, resulting from the occlusion of small penetrating arteries that provide blood to the brain’s deep structures.
What is thrombolytic (throm-bol-lit-tic) therapy or what is thrombolysis (throm-bol-uh-sis)?
Thrombolysis, also known as thrombolytic therapy, is a treatment to dissolve dangerous clots in blood vessels, improve blood flow, and prevent damage to tissues and organs. tPV is an example of a thromboylic therapy.
What is tPA (Tissue plasminogen (plaz-min-o-gen) activator)?
Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), a clot-busting drug for ischemic strokes (strokes due to a blockage or a clot in a blood vessel), is effective when given within four-and-a-half hours of the onset of stroke symptoms in people who do not have bleeding in the brain.
What does penumbra (peh·nuhm·bruh) mean?
In pathology and anatomy the penumbra is the area surrounding an ischemic event such as thrombotic or embolic stroke. Immediately following the event, blood flow and therefore oxygen transport is reduced locally, leading to hypoxia of the cells near the location of the original insult. This can lead to hypoxic cell death (infarction) and amplify the original damage from the ischemia; however, the penumbra area may remain viable for several hours after an ischemic event due to the collateral arteries that supply the penumbral zone..
What does hypoxia (hahy-pok-see-uh) mean?
Inadequate oxygenation of the blood.
What does hyperoxia (hī-pə-ˈräk-sē-ə) mean?
Hyperoxia is the opposite of hypoxia; hyperoxia refers to a state in which oxygen supply is excessive, and hypoxia refers to a state in which oxygen supply is insufficient.
