Key points
- Ischaemic stroke: blockage cutting off the blood supply to the brain
- Haemorrhagic stroke: caused by a bleeding in or around the brain
What is a stroke?
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A stroke occurs when the blood flow to part of the brain is cut off.
A transient ischaemic attack or TIA, sometimes referred to as a mini-stroke, is defined as stroke symptoms and signs that resolve within 24 hours.
Effects of stroke
A stroke can affect many different body functions, depending on the part of the brain that is involved, including:
- Problems with swallowing – Dysphagia
- Problems with communication, including Aphasia, dysarthria and apraxia. See Acquired motor speech disorders
Role of speech and language therapy for stroke
The SLT has a key role in:
- Initial assessment of swallowing and communication difficulties following acute stroke
- Training of other healthcare professionals to carry out screening
- Long-term rehabilitation of stroke patients as part of the core multidisciplinary stroke rehabilitation team
- Coaching others, including carers and other professionals, to facilitate communication
- Supporting the medical team to assess capacity, in cases in which it is difficult to obtain consent from a person.
Resources
For further information read our stroke fact sheet (PDF)
Videos
Stroke Association: Childhood stroke – This information video, collated by the Stroke Association, brings together input from Dr Vijeya Ganesan (Consultant Paediatric Neurologist, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children) and two parents with lived experience of childhood stroke. It aims to help medical students, and other health professionals, understand the fundamentals of childhood stroke and its clinical management, as well as the life impacts childhood stroke can bring.
For more videos visit the RCSLT YouTube channel.
