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Glossary
of Stroke Terminology
Acute
Stroke-
A stage of stroke starting at the onset of symptoms and lasting
for a few hours thereafter.
Agnosia-
A cognitive disability characterized by ignorance of or
inability to acknowledge one side of the body or one side of the
visual field.
Aneurysm
- A weak or thin spot on an artery wall that has stretched or
ballooned out from the wall and filled with blood, or damage to
an artery
leading to pooling of blood between the layers of the blood
vessel walls.
Anoxia-
A state of almost no oxygen delivery to a cell, resulting in low
energy production and possible death of the cell.
Anticoagulants-
A drug therapy used to prevent the formation of blood clots that
can become lodged in cerebral arteries and cause strokes.
Antiplatelet
Agents- A type of anticoagulant drug therapy that prevents
the formation of blood clots by preventing the accumulation of
platelets that form the basis of blood clots. [Examples include
aspirin and ticlopidine].
Antithrombotics-
A type of anticoagulant drug therapy that prevents the formation
of blood clots by inhibiting the coagulating actions of the
blood protein thrombin. [Examples include Warfarin and Heparin].
Aphasia-
Inability to understand or create speech, writing, or language
in general due to damage to the speech centers of the brain.
Apoplexy-
A historical, but obsolete term for a cerebral stroke, most
often intracerebral hemorrhage, that was applied to any
condition that involved disorientation and/or paralysis.
Apoptosis-
A form of cell death involving shrinking of the cell and
eventual disposal of the internal elements of the cell by the
body's immune system. Apoptosis is an active, non-toxic form of
cell suicide that does not induce an inflammatory response. It
is often called programmed cell death because it is triggered by
a genetic signal, involves specific cell mechanisms, and is
irreversible once initiated.
Apraxia-
A movement disorder characterized by the inability to perform
skilled or purposeful voluntary movements, generally caused by
damage to the areas of the brain responsible for voluntary
movement.
Arteriography-
An X-ray of the carotid artery taken when a special dye is
injected into the artery.
Arteriovenous
Malformation (AVM)- A congenital disorder characterized by a
complex tangled web of arteries and veins.
Atherosclerosis-
A blood vessel disease characterized by deposits of lipid
material on the inside of the walls of large to medium-sized
arteries which make the artery walls thick, hard, brittle, and
prone to breaking.
Atrial
Fibrillation- Irregular beating of the left atrium, or left
upper chamber, of the heart.
Blood-Brain
Barrier- An elaborate network of supportive brain cells,
called glia, that surrounds blood vessels and protects neurons
from the toxic effects of direct exposure to blood.
Carotid
Artery- An artery, located on either side of the neck, that
supplies the brain with blood.
Carotid
Endarterectomy- Surgery used to remove fatty deposits from
the carotid arteries.
Central
Stroke Pain- Pain caused by damage to an area in the
thalamus. The pain is a mixture of sensations, including heat
and cold, burning, tingling, numbness, and sharp stabbing and
underlying aching pain.
Cerebral
Blood Flow (CBF)- The flow of blood through the arteries
that lead to the brain, called the cerebrovascular system.
Cerebrospinal
Fluid (CSF)- Clear fluid that bathes the brain and spinal
cord.
Cerebrovascular
Disease- A reduction in the supply of blood to the brain
either by narrowing of the arteries through the buildup of
plaque on the inside walls of the arteries, called stenosis, or
through blockage of an artery due to a blood clot.
Cholesterol-a
waxy substance, produced naturally by the liver and also found
in foods, that circulates in the blood and helps maintain
tissues and cell membranes. Excess cholesterol in the body can
contribute to atherosclerosis and high blood pressure.
Clipping-
Surgical procedure for treatment of brain aneurysms, involving
clamping an aneurysm from a blood vessel, surgically removing
this ballooned part of the blood vessel, and closing the opening
in the artery wall.
Computed
Tomography (CT) Scan- A series of cross-sectional X-rays of
the brain and head; also called computerized axial tomography or
CAT scan.
Coumadin®-
A commonly used anticoagulant, also known as warfarin.
Cytokines-
Small, hormone-like proteins released by leukocytes, endothelial
cells, and other cells to promote an inflammatory immune
response to an injury.
Cytotoxic
Edema- A state of cell compromise involving influx of fluids
and toxic chemicals into a cell causing subsequent swelling of
the cell.
Detachable Coil- A platinum coil that is inserted into
an artery in the thigh and strung through the arteries to the
site of an aneurysm. The coil is released into the aneurysm
creating an immune response from the body. The body produces a
blood clot inside the aneurysm, strengthening the artery walls
and reducing the risk of rupture.
Duplex
Doppler Ultrasound- A diagnostic imaging technique in which
an image of an artery can be formed by bouncing sound waves off
the moving blood in the artery and measuring the frequency
changes of the echoes.
Dysarthria-
A language disorder characterized by difficulty with speaking or
forming words.
Dysphagia-
Trouble eating and swallowing.
Edema-
The swelling of a cell that results from the influx of large
amounts of water or fluid into the cell.
Embolic
Stroke- A stroke caused by an embolus.
Embolus-
A free-roaming clot that usually forms in the heart.
Endothelial
Wall- A flat layer of cells that make up the innermost
lining of a blood vessel.
Excitatory
Amino Acids- Subset of neurotransmitters; proteins released
by one neuron into the space between two neurons to promote an
excitatory state in the other neuron.
Extracranial/Intracranial
(EC/IC) Bypass- A type of surgery that restores blood flow
to a blood-deprived area of brain tissue by rerouting a healthy
artery in the scalp to the area of brain tissue affected by a
blocked artery.
Functional
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI)- A type of imaging that
measures increases in blood flow within the brain.
Glia-
Also called neuroglia; supportive cells of the nervous system
that make up the blood-brain barrier, provide nutrients and
oxygen to the vital neurons, and protect the neurons from
infection, toxicity, and trauma. [Examples of glia include
oligodendroglia, astrocytes, and microglia].
Glutamate-
Also known as glutamic acid, an amino acid that acts as an
excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain.
Hemiparesis-
Weakness on one side of the body.
Hemiplegia-
Paralysis on one side of the body.
Hemorrhagic
Stroke- Sudden bleeding into or around the brain.
Heparin-
A type of anticoagulant.
High-Density
Lipoprotein (HDL)- Also known as the good cholesterol; a
compound consisting of a lipid and a protein that carries a
small percentage of the total cholesterol in the blood and
deposits it in the liver.
Homeostasis-
A state of equilibrium or balance among various fluids and
chemicals in a cell, in tissues, or in the body as a whole.
Hypertension
(high blood pressure)- Characterized by persistently high
arterial blood pressure defined as a measurement greater than or
equal to 140 mm/Hg systolic pressure over 90 mm/Hg diastolic
pressure.
Hypoxia-
A state of decreased oxygen delivery to a cell so that the
oxygen falls below normal levels.
Incidence-
The extent or frequency of an occurrence; the number of specific
new events in a given period of time.
Infarct-
An area of tissue that is dead or dying because of a loss of
blood supply.
Infarction-
A sudden loss of blood supply to tissue, causing the formation
of an infarct.
Interleukins-
A group of cytokine-related proteins secreted by leukocytes and
involved in the inflammatory immune response of the ischemic
cascade.
Intracerebral
Hemorrhage- Occurs when a vessel within the brain leaks
blood into the brain.
Ischemia-
A loss of blood flow to tissue, caused by an obstruction of the
blood vessel, usually in the form of plaque stenosis or a blood
clot.
Ischemic
Cascade- A series of events lasting for several hours to
several days following initial ischemia that results in
extensive cell death and tissue damage beyond the area of tissue
originally affected by the initial lack of blood flow.
Ischemic
Penumbra- Areas of damaged, but still living, brain cells
arranged in a patchwork pattern around areas of dead brain
cells.
Ischemic
Stroke- Ischemia in the tissues of the brain.
Lacunar
Infarction- Occlusion of a small artery in the brain
resulting in a small area of dead brain tissue, called a lacunar
infarct; often caused by stenosis of the small arteries, called
small vessel disease.
Large
Vessel Disease- Stenosis in large arteries of the
cerebrovascular system.
Leukocytes-
Blood proteins involved in the inflammatory immune response of
the ischemic cascade.
Lipoprotein-small
globules of cholesterol covered by a layer of protein; produced
by the liver.
Low-Density
Lipoprotein (LDL)- Also known as the bad cholesterol; a
compound consisting of a lipid and a protein that carries the
majority of the total cholesterol in the blood and deposits the
excess along the inside of arterial walls.
Magnetic
Resonance Angiography (MRA)- An imaging technique involving
injection of a contrast dye into a blood vessel and using
magnetic resonance techniques to create an image of the flowing
blood through the vessel; often used to detect stenosis of the
brain arteries inside the skull.
Magnetic
Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scan- A type of imaging involving
the use of magnetic fields to detect subtle changes in the water
content of tissues.
Mitochondria-
The energy producing organelles of the cell.
Mitral
Annular Calcification- A disease of the mitral valve of the
heart.
Mitral
Valve Stenosis- A disease of the mitral heart valve
involving the buildup of plaque-like material on and around the
valve.
Necrosis-
A form of cell death resulting from anoxia, trauma, or any other
form of irreversible damage to the cell; involves the release of
toxic cellular material into the intercellular space, poisoning
surrounding cells.
Neuron-
The main functional cell of the brain and nervous system,
consisting of a cell body, an axon, and dendrites.
Neuroprotective
Agents- Medications that protect the brain from secondary
injury caused by stroke.
Oxygen
Free Radicals- Toxic chemicals released during the process
of cellular respiration and released in excessive amounts during
necrosis of a cell; involved in secondary cell death associated
with the ischemic cascade.
Plaque-
Fatty cholesterol deposits found along the inside of artery
walls that lead to atherosclerosis and stenosis of the arteries.
Plasticity-
The ability to be formed or molded; in reference to the brain,
the ability to adapt to deficits and injury.
Platelets-
Structures found in blood that are known primarily for their
role in blood coagulation.
Prevalence-
The number of cases of a disease in a population at any given
point in time.
Recombinant
Tissue Plasminogen Activator (rt-PA)- A genetically
engineered form of t-PA, a thrombolytic, anti-clotting substance
made naturally by the body.
Small
Vessel Disease- A cerebrovascular disease defined by
stenosis in small arteries of the brain.
Stenosis-
Narrowing of an artery due to the buildup of plaque on the
inside wall of the artery.
Stroke
Belt- An area of the southeastern United States with the
highest stroke mortality rate in the country.
Stroke
Buckle- Three southeastern states, North Carolina, South
Carolina, and Georgia, that have an extremely high stroke
mortality rate.
Subarachnoid
Hemorrhage- Bleeding within the meninges, or outer
membranes, of the brain into the clear fluid that surrounds the
brain.
Thrombolytics-
Drugs used to treat an ongoing, acute ischemic stroke by
dissolving the blood clot causing the stroke and thereby
restoring blood flow through the artery.
Thrombosis-
The formation of a blood clot in one of the cerebral arteries of
the head or neck that stays attached to the artery wall until it
grows large enough to block blood flow.
Thrombotic
Stroke- A stroke caused by thrombosis.
Tissue
Necrosis Factors- Chemicals released by leukocytes and other
cells that cause secondary cell death during the inflammatory
immune response associated with the ischemic cascade.
Total
Serum Cholesterol- A combined measurement of a person's
high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL).
Transcranial
Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)- A small magnetic current
delivered to an area of the brain to promote plasticity and
healing.
Transient
Ischemic Attack (TIA)- A short-lived stroke that lasts from
a few minutes up to 24 hours; often called a mini-stroke.
Vasodilators-
Medications that increase blood flow to the brain by expanding
or dilating blood vessels.
Vasospasm-
A dangerous side effect of subarachnoid hemorrhage in which the
blood vessels in the subarachnoid space constrict erratically,
cutting off blood flow.
Vertebral
Artery- An artery on either side of the neck.
Warfarin-
A commonly used anticoagulant, also known as Coumadin®.
Source:
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, a
division of the National Institutes of Health. Used with
Permission.
TO
LEARN MORE ABOUT STROKE PREVENTION OR TREATMENT:
Whether you need to learn more about caring for a patient who
has had a
stroke, have a family member who has had one, or simply want to
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