How to rehabilitate from a cerebral infarction?

Written by Shu Zhi Qiang

Neurosurgery

Updated on September 18, 2024

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Brain infarction is one of the most common cerebrovascular accidents, accounting for about 65% of all cerebrovascular diseases. The types of brain infarction include lacunar infarction, cerebral thrombosis, and cerebral embolism; sometimes it also includes cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. Any type of brain infarction, or cerebral infarction, can cause certain neurological dysfunctions. Therefore, once the patient's condition is stabilized, it is advisable to actively consider rehabilitation treatments. These rehabilitation treatments mainly include hyperbaric oxygen therapy, acupuncture rehabilitation, and physical rehabilitation therapy.

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Written by Gao Yi Shen

Neurosurgery

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Is a cerebral infarction serious?

Stroke is a very serious disease; its essence lies in the ischemic necrosis of nerve cells. A characteristic of nerve cells is that once they undergo ischemic necrosis, they cannot regenerate. Along with cardiac muscle cells, they are the only cells in the human body that cannot regenerate once they have died. Therefore, for the part of the tissue where nerve cells have already died, such as in cases of cerebral thrombosis or stroke where the tissue has already been affected, it is impossible to completely restore it. If the affected area is relatively small, some compensation might be possible. However, if the affected area is relatively large, this will lead to a significant amount of ischemic necrosis in the neural tissue, which can cause total dysfunction of various tissue structures in the body, and in more severe cases, can lead to coma and eventually the death of the patient. Therefore, it is imperative to take this seriously in clinical practice.

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Written by Gao Yi Shen

Neurosurgery

58sec

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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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Neurosurgery

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Causes of Cerebral Infarction

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 Liu Dong Yang

Neurosurgery

50sec

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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.

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Written by Shu Zhi Qiang

Neurosurgery

43sec

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post-stroke sequelae

Brain infarction is a very common type of ischemic cerebrovascular disease, which mainly includes the following types: the most common are lacunar infarction, cerebral thrombosis, and cerebral embolism. The neurological sequelae of lacunar infarction are not particularly typical, and patients may exhibit mild incomplete paralysis of limbs, decreased muscle strength, reduced sensation, or ataxia. Cerebral thrombosis and cerebral embolism often cause extensive brain infarction, where patients typically experience severe limb paralysis, loss of sensation, increased tendon reflexes, positive pathological reflexes, and an inability to care for themselves.