The Merck Manual notes that a stroke occurs when part of the brain dies because it is deprived of blood for too long. Part of the brain dies because the brain cannot survive very long without oxygen and nutrients, which are supplied by blood. A stroke results in permanent brain damage. Strokes have diverse symptoms that range from physical to emotional and mental states.
Variability
The effects of a stroke can vary greatly because of the different areas of the brain that can be damaged. The effects of a stroke depend on the type of stroke, the area of the brain affected and the extent of the damage to the brain. Brain injury from a stroke can affect many mental processes, but several key mental symptoms are present with most strokes.
Memory Loss
Memory is a mental process that may be affected by stroke. Memory loss is not an uncommon symptom post-stroke, notes UMMC. This would mean the parts of the brain where memory is stored were affected; this type of memory is called long-term memory. In this case, patients would forget how to do tasks they have done many times before, notes the American Heart Association, or forget names or faces or events from their past. It is also possible for the memory areas of the brain responsible for short-term memory to be affected as well, notes the American Heart Association. This means a patient would forget, for example, why he left his house, what he intended to do, or perhaps where he intended to go once outside the home.
Confusion
Stroke survivors may also appear confused and experience a lot of frustration with confusion. This mental confusion is usually apparent with difficulty speaking and comprehension when being spoken to, notes the American Heart Association. Stroke may cause problems with thinking and attention, which can contribute to confusion. Additionally, according to the American Heart Association, stroke survivors may not know how to begin a task, confuse the sequence of logical steps in a task, or, as noted above, forget how to do a task they've done many times before.
Disorientation or Changes in Consciousness
Disorientation or impaired awareness regarding place, time or personal identity may be present after a stroke. Alertness may be weakened, which may show up as sleepiness, unresponsiveness and possibly unconsciousness, at least in the early post-stroke phase. Disorientation is very likely following a stroke, according to an article in the Journal of Neurology, and if disorientation is absent after a stroke, other cognitive functions are likely to be preserved.
Considerations
Strokes are considered to be medical emergencies. Prompt evaluation and treatment within 60 minutes of the onset of stroke symptoms are advised to produce the best post-stroke outcome.
