Stroke & Lis
What is Stroke?
A Stroke is a medical emergency that is caused by disrupted blood flow to the brain, which can occur in two ways. It can be caused by a blood clot (called ischemic stroke) or a ruptured blood vessel (called hemorrhagic stroke). The stroke itself is just a medical emergency, but the outcomes of a stroke carry lasting effects. Stroke can cause a variety of disorders, such as paraplegia and quadriplegia, paralysis, weakness, along with many other symptoms.
How about Locked-in Syndrome?
Locked-in Syndrome (LiS) is a rare neurological disorder caused by stroke. The most severe cases of LiS display complete loss of movement throughout the whole body, however in most cases, patients have the ability to move their eyes, and some are able to move the face and mouth. The defining symptoms of locked-in syndrome are the inability to chew, swallow, speak, produce facial expressions, or move any part of the body below the eyes, truly defining what it means to be “locked-in”. Despite the extreme bodily limitations locked-in syndrome brings, patients still retain all of their cognitive abilities, with their minds functioning as normal, as well as their senses. Locked-in syndrome is a very extreme neurological disorder that although affects a small percentage of the population, impacts many lives today.