Navigating the Complexities of Stroke

Strokes afflict thousands of people every year. Yet, for every fatal case, many more victims survive, often going on to live long, productive lives. Of course, none of it is simple-not preventing a "brain attack," nor survival, rehabilitation, or living with cerebrovascular disease. The key is education, for both the moment of crisis and the long term. Navigating the Complexities of Stroke provides a practical guide for the lay public and medical professionals. Dr. Louis R. Caplan, one of the world's leading experts, guides readers through the subject in a straightforward and accessible manner. He examines the anatomy of the brain, explaining the specialized functions of different regions, and describes the flow of blood from the heart. He turns to the mechanics of the stroke itself, clearly discussing the complexities of the two major kinds-the ischemic and hemorrhagic-and the resulting damage. Most helpfully, Caplan offers information and advice that readers will find immediately useful: the medical conditions and other factors that create risk, stroke symptoms, abnormalities that doctors look for, tests available to evaluate strokes, complications and disabilities that can result, and the paths of treatment and rehabilitation. He offers real-life cases of victims and their families that demonstrate successful recovery, but also reveal the sometimes troubling impact of strokes on survivors and their families, who can suffer frustration and demoralization that the medical profession often overlooks in its biological focus. Caplan also examines strokes in children and young adults, who are often neglected in literature that is largely aimed at seniors. Navigating the Complexities of Stroke empowers victims, families, and general medical providers. It puts in readers' hands the knowledge necessary to avoid strokes, address them quickly, and effectively recover, so they won't lose heart when it is needed most.

Louis R. Caplan, MD, FAAN, is Professor of Neurology at Harvard University and Senior Neurologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston. He has written or edited forty books, including Stroke and The Effective Clinical Neurologist.

l. Introduction: Why is stroke so important?
2. What does the brain look like and how does it work?
3. How does the body bring blood to the brain? The anatomy of the heart and brain-supplying blood vessels.
4. What is a stroke? What are the different kinds of stroke? 5. What are the medical conditions that cause strokes?
6. Strokes and cerebrovascular conditions in the young
7. What are the different symptoms of stroke? What abnormalities do doctors look for and find in stroke patients?
8. What are risk factors for stroke and how can they be reduced? 9. How can doctors tell what caused a stroke? What tests are used to evaluate individuals who may have had a stroke? 10. What treatments are available to treat acute stroke patients?
11. Complications in stroke patients 12. What are some of the disabilities and handicaps that remain after a stroke? 13. How does recovery from stroke occur? How can recovery be improved? What is rehabilitation? Where is it performed and by whom? 14. How does one person's stroke affect others?
15. What does the future hold?
16. Case summaries