The symptoms of a stroke are sometimes obvious, like numbness or
weakness on one side of the face, trouble speaking, difficulty walking,
and vision problems. Some strokes, though, pass completely unnoticed.
But even these can have a significant and lasting effect on memory,
reports the June 2012 issue of the Harvard Women's Health Watch.
These so-called silent strokes create pinpoints of dead cells in the
brain. The damaged areas are smaller than with a traditional stroke, and
often don't affect areas of the brain associated with movement or
speech.
During a typical ischemic stroke, a blood clot blocks a blood vessel
that feeds part of the brain. Without a steady supply of blood, cells in
that area malfunction and may die. Symptoms that appear reflect the
functions that were controlled by the affected part of the brain. A
hemorrhagic stroke caused by a burst blood vessel does the same thing.
During a silent stroke, the interruption in blood flow occurs in part
of the brain that doesn't control any vital functions. Although it
doesn't cause any obvious symptoms—most people who've had a silent
stroke have no idea it occurred—the damage does show up on an MRI or CT
scan.
Silent strokes could interrupt the flow of information in the brain
needed for memory, especially if several of these strokes occur over
time (which is the most common scenario). Damage from silent strokes can
accumulate, leading to more and more memory problems.
Is there anything a woman can do when faced with a stroke that has no
symptoms, and that can only be found on an MRI or CT scan? "I think
that it should make people aware that it's imperative to manage risk
factors," says Karen Furie, associate professor at Harvard Medical
School and director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Stroke
Service. This means:
- controlling blood pressure and diabetes
- not smoking
- keeping cholesterol levels in check
- aiming for a healthy weight
- managing atrial fibrillation
If you are experiencing signs of memory loss, don't dismiss it as a
normal part of aging. See your doctor for testing to make sure the issue
isn't a silent stroke.
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By age 60, more than half of adults have concerns about their memory.
However, minor memory lapses that occur with age are not usually signs
of a serious neurological disorder, such as Alzheimer’s disease, but
rather the result of normal changes in the structure and function of the
brain. This report describes age-related changes and other causes of
memory impairment — and how to distinguish between them. Learn more »
 |
Protect your brain: That’s the strategy that Harvard doctors
recommend in this report on preventing and treating stroke. Whether
you’ve already had a mini stroke, a major stroke, or have been warned
that your high blood pressure might cause a future stroke, this report
provides help and advice. Learn more »
Read the full-length article: "Could a silent stroke erode your memory?"
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