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Stroke: Most Popular Articles

These articles are the most popular over the last month.
Stroke Symptoms
Stroke symptoms are caused by the sudden interruption of blood flow to an area of the brain, and depend on the function of the part of the brain affected. Here we delineate the most common stroke symptoms and emphasize the need to recognize them as a medical emergency. By doing this, treatment can be optimized, and long term disability can be prevented.
Blood Thinners
Blood thinners like coumadin, and plavix are used for stroke prevention because they can prevent blood clot formation. Learn important information about the most common blood thinners, like coumadin or plavix, and about their most commonly reported side effects. If you or someone you know is taking blood thinners for stroke prevention this is information you can't afford to miss.
Mini Stroke
Like most strokes, mini strokes or transient ischemic attacks (TIA), are caused by the sudden interruption of blood flow to an area of the brain. Because the symptoms of a mini stroke typically last only a few minutes, many choose to ignore it not knowing that up to 25% of people who suffer a mini stroke die within one year of he event. Here you will find essential information about what causes mini strokes and why they should never be ignored.
Stroke Recovery
Stroke rehabilitation is an essential part of stroke recovery. This page will help you see stroke rehabilitation as a starting point for stroke recovery, and the road to getting your life back.
Aphasia Treatment
Aphasia treatments are important after stroke. Aphasia is caused by poor production, processing, or understanding of language due to brain damage, most commonly from stroke. This article provides an introduction to some of the principles behind aphasia treatment, and gives a few examples of the therapies currently used to help people with aphasia recover the ability to communicate effectively.
Stroke Diagnosis
Stroke diagnosis may require CAT scans, MRIs and echocardiograms. However, these are just a few of the tests that doctors perform to diagnose strokes and their underlying causes. Read about the tests used for stroke diagnosis and see how they provide the basis for patient-directed plans to treat and prevent strokes.
Hemiparesis
Learn the definition of the term "hemiparesis"
lacunar_strokes
Lacunar strokes can be defined as strokes in which a small branch of a larger blood vessel becomes occluded and causes a stroke. As most brain areas perform a limited set of brain functions, the collection symptoms of a given lacunar stroke usually falls within one of five categories of symptoms known to be caused by damage in these areas. Learn about the different types of lacunar strokes in this article.
Hemiplegia
Learn the definition of the term "hemiplegia"
Occipital Stroke Symptoms
Occipital stroke and its symptoms - Learn about the different symptoms brought on by an occipital stroke
What is Stroke?
What is stroke? Understanding stroke can save you and your loved ones from a lifetime of physical disability and emotional grief. Here you will find basic information about what strokes are and about what causes them.
Stroke Treatments
Years of basic science and clinical research have yielded new and fascinating stroke treatments. Depending on the type of stroke a person has suffered, several options exist that can minimize her chances of long term disability. Read about these innovative stroke treatments, and learn why time is brain when it comes to their use.
commonaphasias
Aphasia is the impairment of language function which results from strokes and other injuries to the language areas of the brain. Over 20% of all people who suffer a stroke develop some form of aphasia. Learn about the most common types of aphasia, their characteristics, and the available treatments.
Stroke Statistics
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Yet, few people are aware of what its symptoms are and what to do if it ever strikes what types of treatments are available for it and how to access them. Here you can learn some interesting facts about who is affected by strokes, why, how the fare after the stroke, and a lot more. Learn these interesting facts about stroke here.
Six Tips For Stroke Prevention
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, and yet only a small fraction of Americans understands what they can do to optimize stroke prevention. This article provides you with six ways to improve stroke prevention in order to remain stroke-free for life.
Coumadin & Strokes
Coumadin is a potent blood thinner used for stroke prevention. Because of its powerful ability to prevent blood clots from forming, coumadin may also cause bleeding.
NIHSS
When someone suffers a stroke, physicians must be able to quantify the degree of impairment left behind by the stroke. This needs to be done in a speedy fashion, before a powerful but risky treatment known as tPA can be given. Learn how the NIH stroke scale assists doctors in figuring out whether or not a person with a stroke should receive tPA.
dissection
Dissection of the blood vessels that bring blood to the brain is a common cause of stroke among young and middle age people. Learn basic information about dissection, its causes, treatments, and intimate relation with stroke.
Brain AVM
A brain arteriovenous malformation, also known as a brain AVM, is a dangerous cause of headaches, seizures, and, worse of all, hemorrhagic stroke. Learn about AVM in this brief article.
Frontal Lobe Stroke
Frontal Lobe Stroke - Learn About the Deficits Caused by a Frontal Lobe Stroke
Cardiomegaly
Learn the definition of cardiomegaly
Stroke Mimics
When stroke symptoms go away in less than 24 hours, doctors must investigate whether these stroke symptoms were simply the result of a mini stroke or something else that mimicked one. Learn about the conditions that mimic mini strokes, here.
ASA
What is an atrial septal aneurysm?
swallowing exercises
Dysphagia therapy is key to recovery after stroke or damage to the nerves or muscles involved in swallowing. Make your dysphagia therapy a more effective experience by complementing it with these swallowing exercises.
Sex_After_Stroke
Sexuality After a stroke is drastically changed, but this is almost never due to the stroke itself. Instead, there appears to be a combination of factors that work together to affect sex and sexuality after stroke. Learn about the factors that change sex life after stroke and about what you can do to change things around.
Ischemic Stroke
Learn the definition of the term ischemic stroke.
Aneurysm Basics
Brain aneurysms are weak areas on the wall of a blood vessel in the brain, which can rupture, causing major bleeding and stroke. Learn about aneurysms in the brain and their role in stroke in this brief article.
Stroke and Hemicraniectomy
Brain swelling can be caused by stroke and other insults to the brain. And in some cases this swelling can rapidly lead to death. This article explains hemicraniectomy, a lifesaving surgical technique which is performed in order to save the brain from severe brain swelling.
Parietal Stroke
Parietal Lobe Stroke - Learn About the Deficits Caused by a Parietal Lobe Stroke
Carotid Stenosis Treatments
Carotid stenosis is a dangerous narrowing of the largest blood vessels that bring blood to the brain. This narrowing can lead to stroke making carotid stenosis surgery, whenever possible, a much needed treatment for people with this problem.
Corona Radiata
What is the corona radiata?
Migraine and Stroke
Migraine and stroke are sometimes associated with each other. Learn about their unexpected connection here.
Heparin
Heparin is an important medication used in hospitals to prevent the formation of blood clots, and the extension of existing ones. Learn important information about that conditions that require heparin treatment, its relationship to stroke, its side effects and other key aspects of heparin treatment.
Seizures After Stroke
Seizures can come as a surprise to a stroke survivor. Yet, stroke-induced brain damage is one of the most common causes of seizures and epilepsy. In this article, you will find the quick and dirty about stroke-induced seizures.
Telegraphic Speech
Telegraphic speech is the type of speech produced by people who have suffered injury to a part of the brain called Broca’s area.
AFib
Atrial fibrillation is a type of arrhythmia in which the upper chambers of the heart (the atria) beat erratically leading to the formation of dangerous blood clots which can migrate to the brain and cause strokes. Learn about atrial fibrillation and its potent connection to stroke in this article.
Stroke and Dementia
Most people think of Alzheimer disease when they hear the word dementia. Nonetheless, there are many types of dementia, caused by different disease processes. Learn about dementia and stroke-induced dementia in this article.
Embolic Stroke
Embolic stroke - What is an embolic stroke?
Symptoms by Lobe
Most of the time, frontal temporal parietal and occipital strokes lead to fairly obvious symptoms. But their symptoms can be very subtle and difficult to understand. Learn about the symptoms of frontal temporal parietal and occipital strokes. This information can change the way you think of changes you or someone you know are experiencing after a stroke.
Temporal Lobe Stroke
Learn the effects of a temporal lobe stroke
Lupus and Stroke
When someone has lupus, their immune system produces antibodies against the body’s own tissues and causes damage to multiple organs. Strokes are a relatively common occurrence in people who are affected from this disease.
Septic Embolus
Learn the definition of the term "septic embolus"
sinusthrombosis
Dural sinus thrombosis can happen to anyone who has a tendency to form blood clots, and it can lead to symptoms that range from a mere headache to a major hemorrhagic stroke. Find out who is at risk of being affected by this condition, and learn about its causes, its symptoms and its treatment.
Drugs, alcohol and stroke
It is becoming clear that the use of recreational drugs and alcohol increase the risk for stroke. This short article describes the recreational substances most commonly associated with stroke.
Hemorrhagic Stroke
Learn the definition of the term "hemorrhagic stroke"
Brain Tumor and Stroke
Sometimes a brain tumor announces itself by causing a hemorrhagic stroke
Most Deadly Strokes
Some strokes are mild but some are so dangerous and severe they can rapidly lead to death. Learn about these unusually deadly strokes here.
Amyloid Angiopathy
Amyloid angiopathy is a common cause of hemorrhagic stroke in the elderly. Learn about amyloid angiopathy, its history, its symptoms and the reasons why this slowly progressive condition can lead to hemorrhagic stroke.
Trans-Aphasia
Transcortical aphasias are caused by damage to special language processing areas in the brain. This article explains how damage to the the "language association areas" of the brain causes the unusual forms of language dysfunction we know as transcortical aphasias.
Tongue Exercises
If you have trouble swallowing due to a stroke or a similar injury to the brain, dysphagia therapy is your key to recovery.
Stroke and Pain
Stroke and pain can come together and result in the Dejerine-Roussy Syndrome. This type of pain is known as central pain. Learn important information about stroke and pain, and about the Dejerine-Roussy syndrome in this article.
ThromboStroke
Learn the definition of the term "thrombotic stroke"
dysphagiarx
Dysphagia therapy is a critical for the recovery of swallowing function after injury to the brain from a stroke or other causes. In this article you can learn a variety of exercises that can help you regain your ability to swallow.
Dysphagia
Dysphagia, or swallowing dysfunction, is a common occurrence after stroke. It can be extremely debilitating. Learn about the normal swallowing reflex, the causes of swallowing dysfunction, and the dysphagia therapies available.
coagulation disorders
Inappropriate blood clotting can increase a person's risk for stroke. Learn why blood clotting disorders can cause unexpected strokes.
Feeding Tubes in Stroke
Stroke can lead to severe enough difficulty swallowing to require the temporary, or even permanent, placement of a feeding tube. But deciding whether or not to allow doctors to place of a feeding tube in a loved one can be an extremely difficult task.
Stroke and Hemiplegia
Hemiplegia after stroke is common. Learn the reason why hemiplegia after stroke occurs.
Silent strokes vs mini strokes
Silent stroke and mini stroke are two minor vascular events which can forecast that a large stroke is coming. Learn the difference between silent stroke and mini stroke here.
Primary Stroke Centers
New advances in stroke care have brought to life the concept of the Stroke Center, a specialized facility within a hospital where a group of people who specialize in stroke care work together to diagnose, manage, and rehabilitate stroke patients. This article describes why stroke centers provide superior stroke care, and what a hospital needs in order to meet the requirements for certification as a primary stroke center.
Phases of Swallowing
Learn about the three phases of swallowing
carotid_stenosis
Internal carotid stenosis is the narrowing of the two largest blood vessels that provide blood to the brain. Physicians take internal carotid stenosis very seriously, especially when people with this condition begin to develop symptoms. Learn about the causes of carotid stenosis, its treatment and more.
Hypertensive ICH
High Blood Pressure – How High Blood Pressure Can Lead to Serious Bleeding in the Brain
Magnetic Resonance Venogram
Learn the definition of magnetic resonance venography or MRV.
BrocasAphasia
Broca's aphasia - Learn the definition of the term Broca's Aphasia
Migrainous Infarction
Migrainous infarction is a stroke which occurs in the setting of a migraine attack. If you suffer from migraines, migrainous infarction is a subject you should know about.
Balint
Learn about parietal stroke and Balint syndrome - Definition of Balint Syndrome
DWI
What is a DWI weighted MRI?
Wernickes
Wernicke's aphasia - What is Wernicke's Aphasia?
ICP Monitor
Some strokes cause dangerous increases in brain pressure which require an intracranial pressure monitor, or ICP monitor. Learn about the definition of an ICP monitor.
Brain Ischemia
Learn the definition of the term brain ischemia
Watershed stroke
Watershed stroke affects brain areas which are at high risk of developing transient lack of blood flow during extreme drops of blood pressure.
subdural
What is a subdural hemorrhage?
Ischemia
Learn the definition of the term "brain ischemia"
Blood Tests
Many Blood Tests can tell doctors about possible abnormalities in the body's coagulation mechanisms, which in turn can increase the risk of stroke. Here you will find the most common coagulation blood tests used by doctors to investigate if a person has an increased risk of stroke.
Hemorraghic Conversion
Learn why hemorrhagic conversion - bleeding in the brain - precludes most strokes from being treated with intravenous or intraarterial tPA beyond a certain time window.
perinatal
Perinatal strokes are strokes that occur around the time of birth. They leave babies with a great propensity to develop childhood epilepsy. Learn about perinatal strokes and about why they can be a powerful cause of epilepsy in children.
The CNS and Swallowing
Learn about the role of the brain in swallowing
Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease is a slow progression of tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia (slow movements) and difficulties keeping a normal posture. The symptoms of Parkinson's disease can be caused by several disease processes, one of which is stroke. Read on and learn how a stroke can cause what is known as vascular parkinsonism.
Anosagnosia
Learn the definition of the term "anosagnosia"
pure_word_deafness
Pure word deafness is a rare type of aphasia most commonly caused by stroke. Learn about pure word deafness, and about the types of stroke that cause it.
Acute Stroke
What does the "acute" in "acute stroke" mean?
Thalamus
Learn the definition of the word thalamus
Certified Stroke Centers
Primary stroke centers are hospitals which have been certified by the Joint Commission as centers that comply with the latest hospital guidelines for the treatment of stroke. Find out which hospitals in your state have achieved certification by the Joint Commission as primary stroke centers.
Cryptogenic Stroke
What is a cryptogenic stroke?
Agraphia
Often, agraphia is the result of a stroke. Learn the definition of the medical term agraphia.
Vascular_Territory
Learn the definition of the term "vascular territory"
Anton Syndrome
Anton syndrome - What is Anton Syndrome?
Spasticity
Learn the definition of spasticity
Stroke Units
Learn the definition of the term "stroke unit."
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis causes the walls of our blood vessels to become burdened with fat. Over time blood vessels affected by atherosclerosis have the potential to become a source of blood clots and other factors that can lead to stroke. Read about atherosclerosis and about atherogenic risk factors in this article.
Alexia
Definiton of the term "alexia."
Pons
What is the Pons?
Constructional Apraxia
Constructional Apraxia – Learn the Definition of Constructional Apraxia
Dysarthria
What is dysarthria?
RPLS
Important information about high blood pressure and the reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome
Stroke Rehab Goals
What are the goals of hemiplegia rehabilitation?
Systolic
You have have heard the term systolic blood pressure over and over again. But what does systolic mean?
Apraxia
Apraxia – Learn the definition of the term apraxia
Call Phleming Syndrome
Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction - Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction explained
Abulia
Abulia – Learn the definition of the term abulia
Five Lip Exercises
Dysphagia therapy is effective when it strengthens the muscles that make up the swallowing apparatus. And often, lip exercises are necessary to help you improve the ability to start the swallowing reflex.
Ideomotor Apraxia
What is Ideomotor Apraxia ?
neuro-exam
Learn the definition and the importance of the neurological examination in the diagnosis of stroke.
APN
Who are "advanced practice nurses" and why are they important in stroke care?
Stroke - Articles
An index of articles for the Stroke guide site.
Brain Ventricles
Learn the definition of the term brain ventricles.
angiogram
What is a cerebral angiogram?
Hallucination
What is a hallucination? Become familiar with the definition of this common term in this brief description.
Jaw Exercises
Dysphagia therapy consists of strengthening the muscles that participate in chewing or swallowing. And when swallowing is dysfunctional due to poor jaw muscle function, dysphagia therapy should be tackled with jaw exercises.
Cerebellum
Learn the definition of cerebellum
Agnosia
Agnosia – What is Agnosia?
All About Aphasia
Aphasia after stroke is a common symptom that affects millions of people. Here you will find a series of articles about aphasia after stroke
Visual Illusion
Visual Illusion - Definition of visual illusion
Astrereognosis
Learn the definition of the medical term astereognosis
What is a Stroke Risk Factor?
What is a stroke risk factor?
diagnostic radiology
What is diagnostic radiology? Learn the definition of the term "diagnostic radiology"
Carotid Endarterectomy
What is a carotid endarterectomy? Learn the definition of carotid endarterectomy, or CEA.
Lacunar Stroke
Learn the definition of the term "lacunar stroke"
physiatrist
Learn the definition of the word "physiatrist"
Habits And Stroke
Your habits, whether bad habits or just habits have the potential to greatly affect your stroke risk. Which of your habits could be increasing your risk?
Internal Capsule
Learn the definition of the term internal capsule
PFO and Migraine
A patent foramen ovale, or PFO for short, is a heart condition that allows blood to move from the left to the right side of the heart. Learn about patent foramen ovale here.
Contrast
Learn the definition of the term contrast
OCTs and Migraines
Important information about birth control pills migraines and stroke
Acute Stroke Teams
Acute stroke teams are groups of health care professionals who work together to improve stroke treatment. How do these teams work? Why do they make your neighborhood safer? Read on, and learn why acute stroke teams are so important for the treatment of patients with an acute stroke.
Food Bolus
Food bolus - What is a food bolus?
Swallowing Evaluation
Swallowing tests can be necessary after a stroke, especially if food keeps going "down the wrong pipe" when you swallow. If this happens it might be a sign that you are suffering from swallowing dysfunction. Learn about how speech pathologists and other health care professionals evaluated swallowing and administer swallowing tests.
Intracranial Pressure
Learn the definition of the term intracranial pressure
prosopagnosia
Learn the definition of prosopagnosia
FMD
In fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) one or more of the blood vessels that bring blood to the brain become narrow, prevent blood flow, and cause strokes. Learn about fibromuscular dysplasia, its diagnosis, its treatment and its relationship with stroke.
AVM
Learn the definition of the term arteriovenous malformation
silentstroke
Learn the definition of the term "silent stroke".
tPA
What is tPA? Learn the definition of tPA
vascular neurology
The basics about vascular neurology: Learn why the field of vascular neurology was born and why vascular neurologists are so important for the treatment of strokes.
Migraine Aura
The migraine aura - Learn important information about the migraine aura
CIT
After a stroke, rehabilitation is the key to recovery. And constraint induced therapy is one of the best forms of rehabilitation. Learn more about constraint induced therapy in this article.
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
What is a subarachnoid hemorrhage?
duralsinus
Learn the definition of the term "dural sinus."
Thunderclap Headache
What is a thunderclap headache?
Rheumatic
What is rheumatic heart disease?
Internal Carotid Artery
Learn the definition of internal carotid artery
Temporal Lobe
What is the temporal lobe of the brain and what does it do?
Ventriculostomy
Learn the definition of the term ventriculostomy
Lupus Anticoagulant
What is the lupus anticoagulant?
Frontal-Lobe
What is the frontal lobe of the brain?
Comprehensive Centers
In 2000, the formation of "comprehensive stroke centers," large hospitals which are equipped with all the resources and personnel necessary to provide the latest stroke treatments, was recommended by a group of stroke specialists in the United States. Learn why these comprehensive stroke centers are so important for good stroke care in one's area and one's community.
MRA
What is magnetic resonance angiography or MRA?
Spinal Cord
Learn the definition of the term spinal cord
Hemianopsia
What is homonimous hemianopsia? Definition of homonimous hemianopsia
PE
Learn the definition of the term "pulmonary embolism"
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