Pathophysiology of Stroke

Question 1

Visual symptoms in stroke?

Answer 1

diplopia
reading difficulty
field loss
perceptual difficulty
oscillopsia
CVD
defective depth perception
pupil defects

Question 2

Classification of stroke?

Answer 2

Ischaemic (88%) - sub-classified in embolic and thrombotic
Haemorrhagic (12%) - sub-classified into intracerebral and subarachnoid

Question 3

What is an ischaemic stroke?

Answer 3

restricted or interrupted blood supply, which leads to lack of oxygen supply to an area of the brain

Question 4

Embolic vs thrombotic?

Answer 4

A thrombotic stroke is caused by a clot that forms in the arteries leading to the brain, whereas an embolic stroke is caused by a clot that breaks free and travels to the brain.

Question 5

What is the most common cause of embolic?

Answer 5

Atrial fibrillation

Question 6

What does an ischaemic stroke lead to?

Answer 6

loss of energy store (ATP)
ionic imbalance
neurotransmitter release and inhibition of reuptake

Question 7

What is a haemorrhagic stroke?

Answer 7

Is caused by a rupture of a blood vessel and accumulation of blood within the brain.

Question 8

Intracerebral vs subarachnoid?

Answer 8

Intracerebral haemorrhage refers to bleeding into the brain parenchyma while subarachnoid haemorrhage refers to bleeding into the space between the pia and arachnoid membranes.