Week 2: Blood Supply, Stroke & Brain Injury

an injury to the anterior cerebral arteries would lead to a deficit in blood supply to what brain structures?

frontal and parietal lobes, basal ganglia and corpus callosum

injury to the middle cerebral arteries would lead to a deficit in blood supply to what areas of the brain?

temporal and parietal lobes

injury to the posterior cerebral arteries would lead to a deficit in blood supply to what parts of the brain?

temporal and occipital lobes, thalamus and hypothalamus

what is the importance of the circle of willis?

interconnectedness allows blood to be rerouted when there is damage or a blockage in the typical path

vascular disruptions typically produce a ____ ___ of function

localized loss

blood flow interruptions to the brain are often referred to as a ___

stroke

transient ischemic attacks

mini strokes lasting under 24 hours

what are symptoms of transient ischemic attacks?

numbness on one side of the body, visual disturbances, dizziness, falls

ischemic stroke

blockage obstructs blood flow

hemorrhagic stroke

ruptured blood vessel causes blood to spill into the brain

what are some clinical presentations of a stroke?

• face drooping on one side

• arm weakness

• speech difficulty

a thrombotic stroke falls under what category of stroke?

ischemic

thrombotic stroke

clots due to buildup of cholesterol, fat and cell waste lead to blockage

what is the most common type of ischemic stroke?

thrombotic

lunar infarcts

small clots located deep in the brainstem and subcortices, often found in deep arteries and do not cause severe impairment

embolic strokes

clots that dislodge from formation site and travel, most commonly occur in MCA

what artery in the brain is the most commonly occluded?

middle cerebral artery

if the middle cerebral artery is occluded in the left hemisphere, what are some symptoms that would be presented?

aphasia, cognitive impairment, contralateral hemiplegia

if the middle cerebral artery is occluded in the right hemisphere, what would be some expected symptoms?

perceptual deficits, cognitive involvement and affective involvement

hemorrhagic strokes have ___ onset

sudden

aneurysm

bulge in blood vessel that causes vessel weakening and eventual rupture

National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale

assessment tool that provides a quantitative measure of stroke-related neurological deficit