There’s a faster way
to treat strokes:
Take the hospital to the patient.
The Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit
is available in Brooklyn.
It’s a stroke treatment center—complete with a
CT scanner and access to a neurologist from
Weill Cornell Medicine—that can travel straight
to the patient, saving them precious time and
precious brain cells. If you suspect someone’s
having a stroke, call 911.
Learn more about the MSTU at nyp.org/mstu
48 COURIER LIFE, MAY 3–9, 2019 M BR B G
Silent stroke may not exhibit any symptoms, making it more diffi cult to detect.
What is a silent stroke?
The brain is a complex organ responsible
for controlling many different
bodily functions. When working at
optimal capacity, the brain is a wonder
to behold. When illness or trauma
affects the brain, various parts of the
body may not work as they should.
One of the more devastating things
that can affect the brain is stroke.
Stroke describes a sudden stoppage of
blood from reaching the brain. Harvard
Medical School states that if a
large number of brain cells are starved
of blood supply, they can die. With their
demise, a person’s memory and ability
to speak and move can be compromised.
While many strokes come on suddenly,
certain factors may indicate a
person is at risk. Such factors may include
prior heart attacks, genetics,
high blood pressure, smoking, or a
prior stroke. However, in a particular
type of stroke — a “silent stroke” —
symptoms are far more subtle and diffi
cult to spot.
Silent cerebral infarction, often referred
to as “SCI” or “silent stroke,” is
a brain injury likely caused by a blood
clot interrupting blood fl ow to the
brain, offers the American Stroke Association.
Silent strokes increase risk for
other strokes and can be a sign of progressive
brain damage. A silent stroke
is typically only noticed as a side component
of an MRI of the brain. Many
times patients do not recall having a
stroke and never felt any symptoms.
Silent strokes should not be mistaken
for mini-strokes. Mini-stroke is a brief
but discrete and memorable event, with
symptoms appearing for a few minutes
or a few hours.
According to a study on silent stroke
titled “Functional and Cognitive Consequences
of Silent Stroke Discovered
Using Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging
in an Elderly Population” and
published in the Journal of American
Geriatrics Society, silent strokes are
quite common and can have serious
consequences. Researchers have found
that silent stroke is associated with impairments
in tests of cognitive function
rather than movement-oriented performance
tests like rising from a chair.
Almost 50 percent of studied silent
strokes affected frontal circuit components
of the brain, such as the frontal
cortex, basal ganglia, and thalamus.
Lesions in these brain structures compromised
executive functions and were
related to vascular dementia. Another
study showed associations between
silent stroke and visual fi eld defi cits,
weakness in walking on heels, history
of memory loss, migraines, and lower
scores in cognitive function tests.
The “silent” part of a silent stroke
also refers to the areas of the brain that
the stroke affects. Experts at Harvard
Medical School explain that, during a
silent stroke, an interruption in blood
fl ow destroys areas of cells in a part of
the brain that is “silent,” meaning that
it doesn’t control any vital functions.
Researchers say that, over time, the
damage from silent strokes can accumulate,
leading to more and more problems
with memory. Collectively, silent
strokes become silent no longer.
There are certain ways to reduce
the risk of any type of stroke. These include:
• Managing high blood pressure and
high cholesterol levels.
• Quitting smoking.
• Reducing the risk of diabetes and
effectively treat the condition if it is
present.
• Losing weight to prevent obesity.
• Exercising and avoiding a sedentary
lifestyle.
• Taking a low-dose aspirin or a drug
that prevents blood clots.
Silent strokes largely go unrecognized
but can lead to signifi cant brain
injury. Getting the facts can help men
and women reduce their risk for silent
stroke.
Health
/mstu