Stroke

A stroke or "brain attack" occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery (a blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the body) or a blood vessel (a tube through which the blood moves through the body) breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. When either of these things happen, brain cells begin to die and brain damage occurs. When brain cells die during a stroke, abilities controlled by that area of the brain are lost. These abilities include speech, movement and memory. How a stroke patient is affected depends on where the stroke occurs in the brain and how much the brain is damaged. Some people recover completely from strokes, but more than 2/3 of survivors will have some type of disability.

People related to the topic: Stroke

Howard Kirshner, M.D.
Professor of Neurology and Vice Chair of the Department; Director, Division of Stroke; Professor of Hearing & Speech Sciences and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

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