- aphasia
- loss of language skills affecting expression (Broca’s), comprehension (Wernicke’s), or both (global), depending on the area of brain damage
- apraxia
- inability to perform tasks, movements, or gestures
- arteriovenous malformation (AVM)
- abnormal formation of blood vessels in which the arteries and veins can become tangled and form connections
- central nervous system (CNS)
- body’s processing and functional control center
- cerebral embolism
- obstruction in which a clot forms elsewhere in the body, breaks off, and travels to the blood vessels of the brain
- cerebral thrombus
- clot within a blood vessel that blocks cerebral perfusion
- cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
- interruption in blood flow to cells within the brain; commonly referred to as a stroke
- cerebrovascular embolus
- clot that forms elsewhere in the body, breaks off, and travels to the blood vessels of the brain
- circle of Willis (CoW)
- location in the brain where cerebral arteries meet and divide in a way aimed to maintain perfusion
- cryptogenic stroke
- stroke for which the cause cannot be determined
- dysarthria
- trouble speaking
- dysphagia
- trouble swallowing
- Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)
- objective measurement scale that rates impairment of consciousness by scoring in three areas: eye opening, verbal response, and movement
- hemiparesis
- weakness on one side of the body
- hemiplegia
- complete paralysis on one side of the body
- hemorrhagic stroke
- bleeding into the brain caused by the rupture of a blood vessel
- hemorrhagic transformation
- occurrence of a hemorrhagic infarct after an ischemic stroke, particularly after the administration of tPA
- homonymous hemianopsia
- deficit causing a loss of vision in the same halves of the visual field in each eye
- hydrocephalus
- increase in cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles of the brain
- infarct
- area of necrotic tissue in the brain
- intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH)
- hemorrhage, or bleed, within the cerebral vasculature and brain tissue
- intracranial hemorrhage
- hemorrhage, or bleed, in the cranium
- ischemic stroke
- type of stroke in which a clot prevents blood flow to part of the brain
- lacunar stroke
- small artery thrombosis
- locked-in syndrome
- rare condition in which patients retain consciousness but develop paralysis of the entire body except in the muscles of eye movement
- mass effect
- compression of and injury to surrounding brain tissue because of hematoma
- midline shift
- displacement of brain tissue across the midline
- nystagmus
- rapid, uncontrolled eye movements
- patent foramen ovale
- small hole between the left and right atria to support fetal circulation that closes on its own in most cases
- penumbra
- tissue that is immediately around an infarction, is receiving marginal blood flow, and is still salvageable with restoration of perfusion
- permissive hypertension
- post-stroke condition in which the patient is allowed to maintain a higher blood pressure to support perfusion
- perseveration
- continuous and repetitive speech, behavior, or thoughts
- proprioception
- awareness of one’s own body position and movement in relation to the space around oneself
- subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH)
- hemorrhage, or bleed, that occurs in the subarachnoid space surrounding the brain
- thrombectomy
- procedure in which a catheter is inserted through a vessel to physically remove a clot from the cerebral vasculature
- thunderclap headache
- severe, sudden headache that peaks in intensity in seconds, lasts at least five minutes, and lingers and fades within a few hours
- tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)
- medication administered intravenously to break up a blood clot responsible for stopping cerebral blood flow
- transient ischemic attack (TIA)
- temporary occlusion of the blood vessels perfusing parts of the brain, after which the clot dislodges or dissolves on its own, restoring perfusion; sometimes called a "mini-stroke"
- ventriculostomy
- procedure in which a hole is drilled through the skull and a catheter for measuring pressure is placed directly into the ventricle