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How does a stroke cause paralysis?

something to do with the cerebral hemispheres controlling motor function?

A stroke is similar to a heart attack in that blood flow/supply is being cut off from a vital organ. With a stroke its your brain. Typically, the area of the brain that controls motor function is one of the more obvious potential outcomes or after effects of having a stroke. Additionally, as with a heart attack symptoms include pain and numbness along the left side of the body, a stroke can cause pain and numbness along the right side, but those symptoms are not mutually exclusive.

Okay, so hopefully this will make sense. As you may know, the body's organs and tissues need a blood supply containing oxygen and nutrients to stay alive. If the tissues do not have adequate circulation, they will die. In a stroke, a piece of a blood clot from the inside of a vein or artery breaks off and goes into blood circulation. If the clot makes its way to the brain, it can clog one of the arteries that feed the brain, causing and area of tissue death in the brain. Depending on where the clot clogs, it can affect any number of different functions (different areas of the brain control different parts of the body). Paralysis will occur if the motor function area of the brain dies from the clot.
P.S. there is another kind of stroke that results from bleeding in the brain, but its a lot less common but has the same effects depending on the area as the other kind.

James S,
There are two types of stroke - Ischemic stroke, this type of stroke happens when blood is blocked from getting to the brain. This often happens because the artery is clogged with fatty deposits or a blood clot. Hemorrhagic stroke -- This type of stroke happens when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, and blood bleeds into the brain. This type of stroke can be caused by an aneurysm which is a thin or weak spot in an artery that balloons out and can burst. The specific abilities that will be lost or affected by stroke depend on the extent of the brain damage and, most importantly, where, in the brain, the stroke occurred: the right hemisphere, the left hemisphere, the cerebellum or the brain stem. The chain of nerve cells that runs from the brain through the spinal cord out to the muscle is called the motor pathway. Normal muscle function requires intact connections all along this motor pathway. Damage at any point reduces the brain's ability to control the muscle's movements. This reduced efficiency causes weakness, also called paresis. Complete loss of communication prevents any willed movement at all. This lack of control is called paralysis. The way in which the person affected by stroke reacts to these changes will affect their personality, and may cause changes in control of emotions and behaviour. People affected by stroke may become confused, self-centred, uncooperative and irritable, and may have rapid changes in mood. They may not be able to adjust easily to anything new and may become anxious, annoyed or tearful over seemingly small matters.

ALL ANSWERS SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY RESEARCHED, IN ANY FORUM AND ESPECIALLY IN THIS ONE. - MANY ANSWERS ARE FLAWED.


The information provided here should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

I add a link with details of this subject

http://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Stroke

Hope this helps
matador 89

haha I just wanted to laugh at the person who wrote in before me. They were so high and mighty as to say every answer should be thoroughly researched and I looked at her resources expecting great stuff. She looked up her info on Wikipedia......... hahaha wow thats all I have to say.... man if you honestly think Wikipedia is a good source haha

(My bad it was a "he" not a "she"

Exactly. The right side of your brain controls the left side of your body and vise versa.

When you don't get blood to these areas (stroke), you lose motor function. Sometimes you can regain it, sometimes you can't.

When it affect the neurones in the motor area which is in the anterior or frontal part of hemispheres

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