Brain Disorders & Therapy

Brief Note on Brain Stem Stroke

Jin Mo Chung^* Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, USA
^*Correspondence: Jin Mo Chung, Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, USA, Email:

Received: 03-Jan-2022, Manuscript No. BDT-22-e168; Editor assigned: 05-Jan-2022, Pre QC No. BDT-22-e168; Reviewed: 19-Jan-2022, QC No. BDT-22-e168; Revised: 24-Jan-2022, Manuscript No. BDT-22-e168; Published: 31-Jan-2022, DOI: 10.35248/2168-975X.22.11.168

Description

When the blood supply to the brain is cut off, a stroke develops. The way a stroke affects the brain is determined by which section of the brain is damaged and how severe the damage is.

The brain stem, which sits just above the spinal cord, regulates your breathing, heartbeat, and blood pressure. Speech, swallowing, hearing, and eye movements are all controlled by it. Other areas of the brain send impulses through the brain stem to various sections of the body. For our survival, we rely on brain stem activity. A brain stem stroke puts essential physical functions at risk, making it a potentially fatal condition.

An ischemic stroke is the most frequent type of stroke, which is caused by a blood clot. In an artery supplying blood to the brain, a clot can form. A clot that originates elsewhere in the body can travel through the blood arteries until it becomes stuck in one that delivers blood to the brain. When blood cannot reach a portion of the brain, the brain tissue in that area dies from lack of oxygen. An arterial dissection, in addition to blood clots, can induce an ischemic stroke. A dissection of an artery supplying blood to the brain is known as an arterial dissection. Blood might build within the arterial vessel wall as a result of the tear, obstructing blood flow. The wall may also burst, rupture, or leak as a result of the pressure.

A hemorrhagic stroke is the other form of stroke. When a weak blood artery in the brain bursts, blood pools and pressure builds in the brain.

Stroke Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of a stroke vary depending on which part of the brain is damaged. A stroke in the brain stem can cause essential functions like breathing and heartbeat to be disrupted. Eye movements and swallowing, for example, are two processes that we conduct without thinking about. A brain stem stroke can also induce dizziness and affect your speech and hearing. All of your brain’s signals pass through the brain stem on their way to various sections of your body. These impulses are carried down the brain stem to the spinal cord by nerve cells from various parts of the brain.

When blood flow in the brain stem is affected, as it is in the case of a stroke, brain messages are disrupted as well. As a result, the various regions of the body that these signals control will be influenced. This is why some persons experience numbness or paralysis in their arms or legs on one or both sides of their body.

Consequences of a brain stem stroke

You may lose your sense of smell and taste as a result of a brain stem stroke. Coma and locked-in syndrome are two more uncommon consequences. Locked-in syndrome is a disorder in which your complete body is immobilised except for your eye muscles. Eye motions, such as blinking, allow people to think and communicate.

Risk risks associated with one’s way of life

Some of the factors that enhance your stroke risk are out of your control. However, many lifestyle choices that can raise your risk of a stroke are not. Long-term hormone replacement therapy and birth control tablets are examples of this. Women over the age of 35 who also smoke are more vulnerable.