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What is Stroke?
Stroke is the 4th leading cause of death in Canada with 50,000 new diagnoses of strokes reported every year. (Atchison et al., 2012)
33% of Canadians who experience stroke are over 65 years of age (Atchison et al., 2012)
The brain is only comprised of 2% of our body weight but it is one of the most metabolically active organs in the body It uses up about 20% of the body's oxygen (Atchison et al., 2012)
Stroke is the 4th leading cause of death in Canada with 50,000 new diagnoses of strokes reported every year. (Atchison et al., 2012)
Definition
Stroke, also known as cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or brain attack, occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted thereby preventing adequate supply of oxygen and nutrients to the cells of the brain.
A stroke can occur in any areas of the brain including the cerebral hemispheres, the cerebellum, or the brainstem. Loss of function is dependent on the site and extent of the infarction. Interruption of blood flow can be the result of ischemic blockage or hemorrhagic ruptures of blood vessels in the brain. Consequences of a stroke can result in death or infarction of brain tissue.
Image 5, 6, 7
Types of Stroke
I. Hemorrhagic Stroke
Hemorrhagic stroke is bleeding within the cerebral tissue as a result of a ruptured blood vessel or aneurysm (bulge in the wall of an artery due to weakness in the vessel). Approximately 20% of strokes are hemorrhagic and the fatality rates are higher than ischemic strokes. Hemorrhagic stroke tends to occur in younger people because the walls of arteries is often congenital and the likelihood of recovery is better in these individuals compared to those with ischemic strokes.
There are two types of hemorrhagic strokes: 1) intracerebral hemorrhage and 2) subarachnoid hemorrhage. Intracerebral hemorrhage involves bleeding occurring directly in the brain and subarachnoid hemorrhage is bleeding that occurs within the surrounding membranes and cerebral fluid (CSF).
Image 8: Hemorrhagic Stroke.
II. Ischemic Stroke
Ischemic stroke is the most common type of stroke, accounting for 80% of all cases and is caused by obstruction of blood circulation to the brain. The result is brain tissue death.
Obstruction can occur as a result of thrombosis, embolism, or lacunar stroke. Thrombosis is formation of a blood clot in one of the brain arteries. Embolism is when a blood clot is formed in another area in the body that blocks an artery that is too small to pass through. Lacunar stroke occurs in the deep areas of the brain (basal ganglia, thalamus, pons, etc.) and is the result of occlusions in the small branches of the cerebral arteries.
Image 9. Ischemic Stroke.
What is the impact of stroke?
Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability in adults can negatively affect individuals in many ways. Up to 85% of stroke survivors experience hemiparesis, leading to an impairment of an upper extremity, which are often associated with limited functional abilities in activities of daily living performance. As a result, many individuals who have stroke often experienced a decrease in quality of life.
(Atchison et al., 2012; Wolf et al., 2006)