Term | Definition |
altered mental status | a variation from normal function of the mind as judged by a persons behavior, appearance, speech, memory, judgment or responsiveness to stimuli; altered mental status may range from disorientation to total unresponsiveness or unconsciousness |
Coma | An unconscious state in which a person does not respond to any stimulus, including pain |
Embolic Stroke | A type of ischemic stroke caused by plaque or other material that lodges in and blocks a cerebral artey |
Hemorrhagic Stroke | a stroke caused by rupture of a blood vessel in the brain that allows blood to leak and collect in or around the rain tissue |
Ischemic Stroke | A stroke caused by a clot obstructing a blood vessel in the brain, resulting in an inadequate amount of blood being delivered to a portion of the brain distal to the blocked vessel |
Neurological deficit | any deficiency in the nervous systems functioning, typically exhibited as a motor, sensory, or cognitive deficit |
Nontraumatic Brain Injury | a medical injury to the brain that is not caused by external trauma. Stroke is an example of nontraumatic brain injury. |
Reticular Activating System RAS | a network of specialized nerve cells within the brainstem that controls states of arousal and consciousness including wakefulness, attentiveness and sleep |
Stroke | a sudden disruption in blood flow to the brain that results in brain cell damage. Blood flow might be interrupted by a ruptured artery or blocked by a clot or other foreign matter in an artery that supplies the brain. |
Thrombotic Stroke | a type of ischemic stroke caused by a stationary clot that forms in and blocks a cerebral artery. |
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) | brief intermittent episode with stroke like symptoms that typically disappear within minutes but usually last no longer than 1 hour. TIAS are caused by an oxygen deficit in the brain tissue (ischemia) and are often a precursor to a stroke |