I decided to do a blog on strokes because about 7 years ago my grandmother had a stroke. While it was not terminal, it clearly has impacted her abilities in a tremendous way. A stoke occurs when blood flow to the brain is cut off. This causes brain cells to die, and whatever function those cells were responsible for are lost. Strokes can now be treated, as well as prevented, which was not so 15 years ago. I am curious about this question because my grandmother had a stroke almost 7 years ago, and while still alive, fully suffers the effects of the stroke.

My question is: Even though she is relatively unresponsive, does she understand what is going on? Also, is there any experiment going on to find a way to prevent strokes. While I do not know what type of stroke she had, it has had a lasting impact. Based on research, I am led to believe she had an ischemic stroke, which occurs when an artery linked to the brain gets blocked, severely decreasing or stopping blood flow to the brain. This type of stroke accounts for 80% of all strokes and seems to be consistent with the symptoms she demonstrates. She appears to have slight paralysis in certain areas of her body, especially her hands, as well as cognitive deficits, which affect thinking, awareness, attention, and memory. It is hard to judge because, at the age of 91, it is hard to differ between these effects. Or in other words, how much of these deficiencies are because of old age and much is because of the stroke.

When around her, it is clear that she hears and processes what is going on around her. She does not communicate well, if at all. When you talk to her, she chuckles, smiles, and frequently says “Oh”, in a way that suggests she knows what you are saying. One study, led by the University of Michigan, found that a stroke ages your brain nearly eight years. In the case of my grandma, this would be very significant. The difference between an 85 year-old and a 93 year-old is huge, and can often be the difference between life and death. Assuming the study was done well, this finding could explain much of the deficits experienced by my grandmother. The observational study was based on data from 4900 Americans 65 and older, who partook in tests of memory and thinking speed over a span of 15 years. I am satisfied with the way the study was run, which makes me inclined to believe the findings are accurate.

This leads me to a further question of: Does preexisting dementia make having a stroke more likely? Prior to having a stroke, she exhibited signs of oncoming dementia from time to time. Based on the information I have found, I believe the dementia may be advanced as a result of the stroke she suffered, called vascular dementia. Individuals who have had a stroke have a “9 times greater risk of dementia than people who have not had a stroke” (eMedicinehealth). Also, after having a stroke, 1 in 4 people develop signs of dementia within one year. “Vascular dementia is most common in old people” (eMedicinehealth). Based on this information, it does not seem as though preexisting dementia would make having a stroke more likely.

Strokes have an enormous impact on an individual’s body. With how advanced our science is at this time, I am very surprised there has not been advances on ways to prevent strokes, other than avoiding things that clearly contribute to your the likelihood of a stroke. Based on the information found, there is no reverse causation between a stroke and dementia, but there likely is causation. The studies show that strokes can cause dementia. It is hard for me to say whether my grandmother does know what is going on, simply because I do not know which area of her brain has been affected by the stroke. All things considered, I have come to the conclusion that having slight dementia before the stroke was simply intensified the symptoms. As the study said, a stroke basically ages your brain 8 years. If she did not have a stroke, I am sure the dementia would be just as severe 8 years later as it was following the stroke.