A Case of Cerebrovascular Accident

By David F. Dean (rr)

Abstract

"Samuel Dexter" is 52 years old, overweight, and a heavy smoker. He wakes one morning with weakness on his right side. When he attempts to walk to the bathroom, he stumbles and then falls. His wife, who suspects he has suffered a stroke, calls 911. Students read the short case scenario, including a brief clinical history of the patient and description of his injury, then answer a set of directed questions designed to probe the students’ knowledge of the anatomy, physiology, and pathology underlying the patient’s condition. The case has been used in both a sophomore-level course in human anatomy and physiology and a senior-level course in general physiology.

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Date Posted

12/02/2005

Overview

Objectives

Learn definition of ischemia and infarction, and the concept of collateral blood flow and how it relates to the development of ischemia.
Understand the risk factors and warning signs of stroke, and the basic mechanisms by which it occurs.
Understand the functional relationship between the two most important regions of the brain involved in speech.
Learn the definition of ipsilateral and contralateral, and understand how they relate to the function of the brain and spinal cord.
Understand how spinal reflexes can be used to localize a lesion within the nervous system.
Understand the process by which individuals regain neurological function following an injury to the nervous system.

Keywords

Stroke; cerebrovascular accident; CVA; hemiparesis; collateral blood flow; ischemia; infarction; Brodman areas; Broca's area; Wernicke's area; Babinski sign; ipsilateral; contralateral

Subject Headings

Anatomy

Medicine (General)

Neuroscience

Physiology

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL

Undergraduate lower division, Undergraduate upper division

FORMAT

PDF

TOPICAL AREAS

N/A

LANGUAGE

English

TYPE/METHODS

Directed