Causes of Cerebral Infarction

Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
Updated on September 26, 2024
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The specific causes of cerebral infarction are mostly seen in older patients with several underlying diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. Over time, without well-controlled blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood lipids, arteriosclerosis can easily form within the blood vessels, or atherosclerotic plaques can develop. Once the plaque forms, under certain triggers, the unstable detachment of the vascular plaque can occur. The embolus then moves with the blood flow into the brain and lodges in a narrowed part of the vessel, causing local blood supply areas to experience narrowing or blockage. At this point, a cerebral infarction is likely to form, leading to ischemia, necrosis, and degeneration of the brain tissue supplied by the vessel, resulting in a softening lesion. On a cranial CT scan and MRI, a local low-density shadow can be observed, which is the specific cause of the cerebral infarction.

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Written by Gao Yi Shen
Neurosurgery
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Causes of cerebral infarction

There are many causes of cerebral infarction, but the most common in clinical practice is the narrowing or occlusion of the carotid artery. Since the brain is supplied by four blood vessels, any issues with any of these vessels can potentially lead to a cerebral infarction. Conditions commonly known as the "three highs"—high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol—can easily lead to narrowing or even blockage of the blood vessels. Thus, these factors are fundamentally the cause. Additionally, smoking and drinking can also lead to vascular narrowing and cause cerebral infarction. In some special cases, autoimmune diseases can cause inflammation inside the vessels, leading to narrowing. Other causes include arterial tears due to trauma, which can lead to ischemia and infarction, or abnormal blood supply due to arrhythmias causing cerebral infarction.

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Can people with cerebral infarction drink alcohol?

Patients with cerebral infarction should not drink alcohol. Although alcohol can have certain effects in promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, the specific content of alcohol and its degree, as well as each person's tolerance, vary. While in some cases, certain components can promote blood circulation, this does not mean it always activates blood circulation. In fact, excessive promotion of blood circulation at times can even lead to cerebral hemorrhage and other changes in medical conditions, posing even greater risks to patients. Another point is that drinking alcohol can cause excitement, which may lead to increased blood pressure. If there are plaques or other impurities in the arteries, they might dislodge and lead to further exacerbation of cerebral infarction. Therefore, it is also advised not to drink alcohol for these reasons.

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Symptoms of cerebral infarction

For patients with cerebral infarction, during the acute phase, they typically exhibit clear symptoms of headache, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. Patients may experience slurred speech, difficulty speaking, and obvious articulation disorders. Additionally, some patients may develop facial nerve paralysis, deviation of the mouth to one side, drooling, and often exhibit clinical signs such as a shallower nasolabial fold and disappearance of forehead wrinkles. Furthermore, some patients may also experience dysphagia, manifested by coughing when drinking water, and may be accompanied by aphasia or motor dysfunction, primarily presenting as motor aphasia, mixed aphasia, anomic aphasia, and resulting unilateral limb paralysis.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
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Causes of Cerebral Infarction

At present, there is no consensus on the specific causes of cerebral infarction. It is mostly seen in patients with underlying diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia, where there has not been adequate control of the patient's blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol. This can lead to significant increases in blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol. Over time, this might result in the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in the patient’s blood vessels. When these plaques break off and enter the bloodstream, they travel with the blood flow and can lodge in the narrow vessels of the brain. This causes blockage of the blood vessel and leads to ischemia, necrosis, softening, and degeneration of the brain tissue in the affected blood supply area, ultimately causing a cerebral infarction.

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Can a cerebral infarction recover?

Most patients who experience a stroke have relatively good recovery after active treatment and rehabilitation exercise, but very few patients can recover to the physical state they were in before the stroke. This is mainly because after the stroke, brain cells are damaged due to ischemia and hypoxia. Since brain cells are non-regenerative tissues, it is difficult for them to regenerate once they are damaged. The function of the damaged brain cells is mainly compensated by the undamaged brain neurons. Therefore, even with active treatment, it's not possible to return to a completely normal state. However, even so, it is still crucial to actively pursue treatment and rehabilitation exercises after a stroke, as these can significantly reduce the disability and mortality rates caused by the stroke.