Lacunar infarctions are small strokes caused by blockages in smaller branches of major arteries, accounting for 20% of all strokes. They can cause brain damage and disabilities, with symptoms categorized into five syndromes. There is no specific medical treatment, but patients tend to recover faster than other stroke types.
Lacunar infarctions, also known as lacunar strokes, are small areas of dead tissue deep within the brain usually caused by blockages or blockages in the smaller branches of major arteries. While typically small compared to other types of strokes, lacunar infarctions account for about 20% of all strokes, especially in those with high blood pressure or diabetes. The smaller strokes associated with lacunar infarcts are usually not fatal; however, they can often result in brain damage and other associated disabilities similar to larger, life-threatening strokes.
The type of damage caused to a person by a lacunar infarction is typically categorized as one of five different classifications, called syndromes, each consisting of a specific set of symptoms. The most common syndrome is pure motor stroke, which accounts for up to 50% of all lacunar infarctions. Those affected by this syndrome experience severe weakness or are paralyzed on one side of the body. They may also suffer from other symptoms, such as difficulty swallowing and speaking.
The second most common syndrome is ataxic hemiparesis. This syndrome causes weakness and clumsiness on one side of the body and is caused by a lack or reduction in motor control that can occur hours to days after the lacunar infarction occurs. The third syndrome, dysarthria, is similar to antaxic hemiparesis and considered by some to be a variant of it. Patients with dysarthria typically experience a weakness or clumsiness in one hand that is also caused by a reduction in motor control.
The last two syndromes associated with lacunar infarcts are related to the senses. Pure sensory stroke syndrome causes tingling, numbness, or other unusual sensations on the affected side of the body. Mixed sensory stroke syndrome usually involves a weak or paralyzed body part, as with a pure motor stroke, with the addition of the sensory symptoms associated with a pure sensory stroke. The sensory symptoms in both of these syndromes can be continuous or come and go with varying levels of severity at unpredictable intervals.
There is no specific medical treatment for those who have had a lacunar infarction other than physical rehabilitation and taking steps to prevent another event. Patients with lacunar infarction, however, tend to recover faster and more fully than those who have suffered other types of strokes. As many as 80% of lacunar infarction sufferers are able to function independently in a year, compared with around 50% of those with some other form of stroke.
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