WHAT IS A STROKE?

A stroke or "brain attack" occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery
(a blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the body) or a
blood vessel (a tube through which the blood moves through the
body) breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. When
either of these things happen, brain cells begin to die and brain
damage occurs.

When brain cells die during a stroke, abilities controlled by that area
of the brain are lost. These abilities include speech, movement and
memory. How a stroke patient is affected depends on where the
stroke occurs in the brain and how much the brain is damaged.

For example, someone who has a small stroke may experience only
minor problems such as weakness of an arm or leg. People who have
larger strokes may be paralyzed on one side or lose their ability to
speak. Some people recover completely from strokes, but more than
2/3 of survivors will have some type of disability.