Ischemic stroke

Ischemic stroke is brain injury caused by an obstruction that reduces blood flow to part of the brain. The resulting loss of oxygen and glucose can rapidly damage brain cells.

Cerebral ischemia: Insufficient blood flow to the brain or a region of it, causing inadequate oxygen delivery. The stroke is a sudden, damaging form of this broader blood-flow failure.
Large-vessel occlusion: Blockage of a major artery supplying the brain, such as the internal carotid or middle cerebral artery. These strokes can cause severe deficits and may be treated with thrombectomy.
FAST (stroke recognition): A public mnemonic for recognizing stroke signs through face drooping, arm weakness, and speech difficulty, with urgency to call emergency services. Its signs help prompt rapid emergency assessment when stroke is suspected.
Atrial fibrillation: An irregular heart rhythm that can allow blood clots to form in the heart and travel to the brain. It is a major source of preventable cardioembolic strokes.
Hemorrhagic stroke: Brain injury caused by bleeding from a ruptured blood vessel in or around the brain. It is the other major stroke type and requires different acute treatment.
Thrombus: A blood clot that forms within a blood vessel. A clot can form locally and block a brain artery.
Lacunar stroke: A small subcortical infarct caused by disease of a penetrating cerebral artery. It is a distinct small-vessel pattern of ischemic brain injury.
NIH Stroke Scale: A standardized clinical scale for measuring neurological impairment after stroke. Clinicians use it to describe initial severity and monitor changes.
Atherosclerosis: A disease in which fatty plaques build up within artery walls, narrowing or destabilizing them. Plaque can obstruct cerebral arteries or generate clots that travel to the brain.
Subarachnoid hemorrhage: Bleeding into the space between the brain and the thin tissues covering it. This dangerous hemorrhagic event can resemble stroke but is not caused by arterial blockage.

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