Ischemic Stroke

A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain function(s) due to a change in the normal blood supply to the brain. In an ischemic stroke, there is a reduction in the blood supply to an area of the brain causing dysfunction (due to a lack of oxygen and glucose). There are four reasons why this might happen: Thrombosis (obstruction of a blood vessel by a blood clot forming locally), Embolism (occlusion of the vessel due to a blood clot formed elsewhere in the body which has migrated), Systemic hypoperfusion (decrease in blood supply due to trauma e.g. shock) and Venous thrombosis (blood clot of the sinuses which drain the brain.