CVA

Aphasia

A communication disorder caused by brain damage, characterized by impairment of language comprehension, oral expression, and use of symbols.

Ataxia

Lack of muscle coordination during voluntary movements.

Dysphagia

Difficulty swallowing.

Dysarthria

Disturbance in articulation, affecting speech clarity.

Hemiparesis

Weakness on one side of the body.

Hemiplegia

Paralysis on one side of the body.

Paresthesia

Abnormal sensation such as burning or tingling.

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)

A mini-stroke where blood supply to the brain is temporarily interrupted, resolving within 1-24 hours.

Stroke

A cerebrovascular accident caused by the interruption of blood supply to the brain, resulting in sudden neurological symptoms.

Cerebral infarct

The death of a portion of the brain tissue due to lack of blood flow.

Hemorrhagic Stroke

A stroke caused by the rupture of a cerebral vessel leading to bleeding in or around the brain.

Ischemic Stroke

A stroke caused by hypoxia or decreased oxygenation to brain tissues due to poor blood supply.

Brunnstrom Stages of Motor Recovery

A framework outlining the stages of recovery following a stroke as observed in muscle tone and movement patterns.

Pusher Syndrome

A condition following a right or left posterolateral thalamus stroke, where patients actively push and lean toward their hemiplegic side.

Thrombolytic Agents

Medications such as tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) used for the emergency treatment of embolic strokes.

Broca's Aphasia

A type of non-fluent aphasia resulting from damage to the frontal lobe, where patients know what they want to say but cannot articulate words.

Wernicke's Aphasia

A type of fluent aphasia resulting from damage to the temporal lobe, where patients speak in long sentences that have no meaning.

Hemiplegia vs Hemiparesis

Hemiplegia is total paralysis on one side of the body, while hemiparesis is partial weakness.

Neuroimaging

The use of various imaging techniques, like CT or MRI scans, to visualize structures and functions in the nervous system.

Motor Control

The ability of the nervous system to maintain posture or to move in an orderly fashion.

Embolus

A blood clot that travels through the bloodstream and can obstruct a blood vessel, causing ischemic stroke.