Reference no: EM133991030

Assignment:

Vignette 1: A 77-year-old woman was cooking in the kitchen when she collapsed onto the floor. Her daughter called an ambulance and the woman was taken to the emergency room. She had suffered a stroke, and slowly regained consciousness over the next two days. However, when she woke up, she had the following signs and symptoms:- loss of sight (although pupils were reactive to light?)- partial amnesia (loss of memory) - inability to make and store new long-term memories.

Vignette 2: A 61-year-old business executive with a long history of high blood pressure collapsed while jogging over the lunch hour. His jogging mate quickly contacted a police officer who helped carry the man to a hospital just down the road. At the hospital, an MRI was performed that revealed a blockage of a major cerebral artery and ischemic changes to the portion of the brain supplied by that artery. With quick medical attention, the man was stabilized, and he slowly improved over the next three weeks. The following signs and symptoms did persist, however:- weakness of the facial and upper extremity muscles on the left side - loss of sensory discrimination when objects are placed into the left hand - significant mood and character changes.

Guiding Questions

Answer the questions below and submit as a Microsoft Word document or PDF.

1. Based upon the patient's symptoms in Vignette #1, which cerebral artery was blocked? Your explanation should include which area(s) of the brain is/are affected as indicated by the reported symptoms, and how that leads to your identification of the blocked blood vessel. (Be Specific)
2. Which artery was blocked in Vignette #2? Your explanation should include which area(s) of the brain is/are affected as indicated by the reported symptoms, and how that leads to your identification of the blocked blood vessel. (Be Specific)
3. Take a moment to consider the "Circle of Willis". Assuming both patients have a fully connected Circle of Willis, would you predict that blood flow to the affected areas would be maintained despite the blockage? Why or why not?
4. Propose a possible treatment for the patient in this case study. How does this treatment improve conditions for the patient? Are these improvements seen at the cellular, tissue, organ or systemic level?