A brain attack or stroke occurs when abnormal bleeding and blockage within the blood vessels in the brain occur. Damage to the tissue of the brain occurs when the oxygen cannot reach the brain through normal blood flow. The frontal part or lobe of the brain influences speech, social behavior, a person's motivation and the ability to plan. When the frontal brain becomes affected by a stroke, a decrease in these areas occurs, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke states.
Head Trauma
Head trauma occurs when the head suffers a hit large enough to cause the brain to move within the skull. This movement within the skull causes damage. Nerve damage occurs as the brain moves within the skull, pulling nerve fibers and tissue within the brain apart. When this occurs, bleeding may happen inside the brain which then can cause a stroke. This type of injury occurs in motor vehicle accidents, sports, falls, physical violence and through wounds produced by firearms, according to the Brain Injury Association of America.
Cerebrovascular Disease
Narrowing of blood vessels within the brain causing decreased blood flow may result from a blockage from a blood clot or a rupture of a blood vessel called a hemorrhage. Cerebrovascular disease occurs when a part of the brain becomes temporarily or permanently damaged by bleeding or blockage within the brain. This can disrupt the brain's blood flow, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons states. This disease process includes an unusually narrow area of a blood vessel called stenosis, as well as aneurisms, carotid stenosis, vertebral stenosis and intracranial stenosis.
Brain Tumors
Brain tumors or abnormal growths in areas of the brain may cause problems within the function of the brain that can lead to a stroke. Depending on the tumor location, the brain's ability to perform different communication with the rest of the body will become affected. This may result in delayed movements in arms and legs, problems moving one side of the body and visual problems, according to the Mayo Clinic.
