Cerebrovascular accident, termed as “brain attack,” is also referred to as Stroke.
Stroke is a sudden loss of function resulting from a disruption of the blood supply to a localized part of the brain. The mortality and morbidity of CVA in the Philippines is relatively low. There are two types of stroke: 1. Ischemic Stroke is a disruption of the blood supply due to an obstruction, usually thrombus or embolism that causes infarction of brain tissue.
2. Hemorrhagic Stroke is caused primarily by an intracranial or subarachnoid hemorrhage.Hemiparesis or weakness of one side of the body is another sign. Communication Loss Other brain functions affected by stroke are language and communication. Stroke is most common cause of aphasia. Dysarthria (difficulty of speaking) is caused by paralysis of the muscles responsible for producing speech.
Dysaphasia or Aphasia (defective speech or loss of speech), which can be expressive aphasia, receptive aphasia or global (mixed) aphasia. Apraxia (inability to perform a previously learned action), as may be seen when a patient picks up a fork and attempts to comb his hair with it. Perceptual DisturbancesPerception is the ability to interpret sensation. Visual-perceptual dysfunctions are due to disturbances of the primary sensory pathways between eye and visual cortex.
Homonymous hemianopsia (loss of half of the visual field) may occur from stroke and may be temporary or permanent. Disturbances in visual-spatial relations are frequently seen in patients with right hemispheric damage. Sensory Loss Stroke may take the form of slight impairment of touch or may be more severe, with loss of proprioception as well as difficulty in interpreting visual, tactile, and auditory stimuli. Cognitive Impairment and Psychological Effects
