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
For more videos visit the RCSLT YouTube channel.
