What Is Stroke?
The care and treatment of stroke has changed dramatically over the past few years. Promising pharmacological interventions are rapidly emerging for both acute and chronic stroke management. Studies have shown that stroke survivors can see improvement in function even years after their stroke. This Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on stroke rehabilitation is actively involved in research designed to improve the function of stroke survivors.
We invite you to visit the Research section of our website for more information about specific research projects underway. If you would like more information about these projects, contact information is provided for each project.
Below is some general information about stroke and stroke risk factors.
What is a Stroke?
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel (artery) supplying the brain breaks or is blocked by a blood clot. When this happens, brain cells in the immediate area usually die within minutes to a few hours after the stroke starts. Strokes also are often called "brain attacks'.
Clots that block an artery cause ischemic strokes. This is the most common type of stroke and accounts for 70-80 percent of all strokes.
A ruptured in the blood vessels in the brain cause hemorrhagic or bleeding strokes.
When brain cells die, the part of the body controlled by the damaged area of the brain cannot function properly. Functions that may be affected include speech, movement, and memory. The specific abilities affected will depend upon where in the brain the stroke occurred and the size of the area of the brain that was affected.
What are the Warning Signs of a Stroke?
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
What Are Stroke Risk Factors?
Knowing the risk factors for stroke is the key to stroke prevention. Risk factors fall into three categories: 1) those that can modified with the help of a physician; 2) those can be modified through lifestyle changes; and 3) those that cannot be controlled.
Risk factors that can be modified with medical treatment
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes mellitus
- Heart disease
- Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs)
- Carotid artery disease
Risk factors that can be modified through lifestyle changes
- Tobacco use
- Physical inactivity and obesity
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Illegal drug use
Risk factors that cannot be modified or controlled
- Increasing age
- Male gender
- Heredity and race
- Prior stroke
For more information about stroke risk factors, prevention and treatment please contact the National Stroke Association or the American Stroke Association.