A brainstem stroke syndrome falls under the broader category of stroke syndromes, or specific symptoms caused by vascular injury to an area of brain (for example, the lacunar syndromes). As the

brainstem The brainstem (or brain stem) is the posterior stalk-like part of the brain that connects the cerebrum with the spinal cord. In the human brain the brainstem is composed of the midbrain, the pons, and the medulla oblongata. The midbrain is conti ...

contains numerous cranial nuclei and

white matter White matter refers to areas of the central nervous system that are mainly made up of myelinated axons, also called Nerve tract, tracts. Long thought to be passive tissue, white matter affects learning and brain functions, modulating the distr ...

tracts, a

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

in this area can have a number of unique symptoms depending on the particular blood vessel that was injured and the group of cranial nerves and tracts that are no longer perfused. Symptoms of a brainstem stroke frequently include sudden

vertigo Vertigo is a condition in which a person has the sensation that they are moving, or that objects around them are moving, when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. It may be associated with nausea, vomiting, perspira ...

and

ataxia Ataxia (from Greek α- negative prefix+ -τάξις rder= "lack of order") is a neurological sign consisting of lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements that can include gait abnormality, speech changes, and abnormalities in e ...

, with or without weakness. Brainstem stroke can also cause

diplopia Diplopia is the simultaneous perception of two images of a single object that may be displaced in relation to each other. Also called double vision, it is a loss of visual focus under regular conditions, and is often voluntary. However, when occ ...

, slurred speech and decreased level of consciousness. A more serious outcome is

locked-in syndrome Locked-in syndrome (LIS), also known as pseudocoma, is a condition in which a patient is aware but cannot move or communicate verbally due to complete paralysis of nearly all voluntary muscles in their body except for vertical eye movements and ...

Syndromes

* The midbrain syndromes (Significant overlap between these three syndromes) ** Superior alternating hemiplegia or Weber's syndrome ** Paramedian midbrain syndrome or Benedikt's syndrome ** Claude's syndrome * Medial pontine syndrome or Middle alternating hemiplegia or Foville's syndrome * Lateral pontine syndrome or Marie-Foix syndrome * Medial medullary syndrome or Inferior alternating hemiplegia * Lateral medullary syndrome or Wallenberg syndrome

History

A history of locked in syndromes.

Jean-Dominique Bauby

Parisian journalist Jean-Dominique Bauby had a

in December 1995, and, when he awoke 20 days later, he found his body was almost completely paralyzed; he could control only his left eyelid. By blinking this eye, he slowly dictated one alphabetic character at a time and, in so doing, was able over a great deal of time to write his memoir, '' The Diving Bell and the Butterfly''. Three days after it was published in March 1997, Bauby died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

. The 2007 film '' The Diving Bell and the Butterfly'' is a screen adaptation of Bauby's memoir. Jean-Dominique was instrumental in forming the ''Association du Locked-In Syndrome'' (ALIS) in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

References

External links

{{Lesions of spinal cord, brainstem, and cortex Types of stroke Syndromes affecting the nervous system

Syndromes

History

Jean-Dominique Bauby

See also

References

External links