It may be easier to diagnose strokes affecting the left-brain than the right brain, said a report in the recent issue of The Lancet.
It may be easier to diagnose strokes affecting the left-brain than the right brain, said a report in the recent issue of The Lancet.
The authors state that discrepancy could be due to difficulties in recognizing the symptoms of right-brain stroke.Cerebrovascular events are frequently accompanied by characteristic neurological deficits, depending on the side of the brain the lesion occurs. People with events on the left side of the brain may have difficulty with speech, while people with events on the right side of the brain might have awareness deficits. This difference could affect recognition of symptoms by patients, relatives, and doctors.
Researcher from Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany had looked at the incidence of stroke using data from a stroke registry in Germany. Between 1997 and 2002 over 20000 patients were included in the registry. Of these, 11300 had left-brain stroke and 8700 had events in the right hemisphere. The researchers found that compared with individuals with right-brain stroke, more patients with left-hemispheric events were treated with thrombolysis and more were admitted to hospital within 3 hours of stroke onset.
The researcher states that their study suggests differences in medical attention and subsequent management between patients with right and left hemispheric stroke. Difficulties in recognition of symptoms due to right hemisphere stroke pose specific challenges for the effort to further optimize stroke management, particularly in the critical early hours of stroke.
Source: Newswise
Medindia on Stroke: Further information
Stroke: Stroke happens as the blood supply to the brain gets interrupted due to bursting of blood vessels. In this state the brain cell does not get oxygen and dies. The symptoms of a stroke may be one or more of the following: sudden numbness or weakness in one part of the body, sudden trouble in speaking, hearing seeing, or walking without any known cause. A stroke may be either ischemic or hemorrhagic.
