A stroke caused by an interruption in the flow of blood to the brain; almost always caused by a blood clot blocking a blood vessel.

A stroke is a medical emergency. There are two types - ischemic and hemorrhagic. Ischemic stroke is the most common type. It is usually caused by a blood clot that blocks or plugs a blood vessel in the brain. This keeps blood from flowing to the brain. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die. Another cause is stenosis, or narrowing of the artery. This can happen because of atherosclerosis, a disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries. Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) occur when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted briefly. Having a TIA can mean you are at risk for having a more serious stroke. Symptoms of stroke are Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg (especially on one side of the body); Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech; Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; Sudden severe headache with no known cause. It is important to treat strokes as quickly as possible. Blood thinners may be used to stop a stroke while it is happening by quickly dissolving the blood clot. Post-stroke rehabilitation can help people overcome disabilities caused by stroke damage. NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is defined by the sudden loss of blood flow to an area of the brain with the resulting loss of neurologic function. It is caused by thrombosis or embolism that occludes a cerebral vessel supplying a specific area of the brain. During a vessel occlusion, there is a core area where damage to the brain is irreversible and an area of penumbra where the brain has lost function owing to decreased blood flow but is not irreversibly injured.

(ischemia stroke) An ischemic condition of the brain, producing a persistent focal neurological deficit in the area of distribution of the cerebral arteries.

Ischemic stroke is defined as an acute episode of focal cerebral, spinal, or retinal dysfunction caused by infarction of central nervous system tissue.

Stroke due to BRAIN ISCHEMIA resulting in interruption or reduction of blood flow to a part of the brain. When obstruction is due to a BLOOD CLOT formed within in a cerebral blood vessel it is a thrombotic stroke. When obstruction is formed elsewhere and moved to block a cerebral blood vessel it is referred to as embolic stroke. Wake-up stroke refers to ischemic stroke occurring during sleep while cryptogenic stroke refers to ischemic stroke of unknown origin.

(arterial ischemic stroke) Acute onset of neurological deficits resulting from a loss of blood supply to brain tissue in an area of arterial distribution.

(ischemic cerebrovascular accident) An acute episode of focal cerebral, spinal, or retinal dysfunction caused by infarction of brain tissue.

Ischemic stroke is sudden neurologic deficits that result from focal cerebral ischemia associated with permanent brain infarction (eg, positive results on diffusion-weighted MRI). Common causes are (from most to least common) atherothrombotic occlusion of large arteries; cerebral embolism (embolic infarction); nonthrombotic occlusion of...

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is characterized by the sudden loss of blood circulation to an area of the brain, typically in a vascular territory, resulting in a corresponding loss of neurologic function. Also previously called cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or stroke syndrome, stroke is a nonspecific state of brain injury with neuronal...

Stroke is defined as an acute neurologic deficit lasting >24 hours and caused by cerebrovascular etiology. It is further subdivided into ischemic stroke (caused by vascular occlusion or stenosis) and hemorrhagic stroke (caused by vascular rupture, resulting in intraparenchymal and/or subarachnoid hemorrhage). Central venous sinus...