How the Brain is Affected by Stroke
During a stroke, disruption of the blood flow to the brain causes cell damage and death where the stroke occurred. to the brain causes cell damage and death where the stroke occurred. Neurological pathways between the brain and the body can become disconnected. This causes an interruption of the brain signal that controls certain areas of the body, mind, and emotions.
How recovery happens
Your brain controls your bodyโs nervous system. It is capable of reorganizing how it processes information after a stroke through neuroplasticity. This means parts of the brain that werenโt damaged during your stroke can make new pathways to improve your brainโs function over time.
Practice is the most important element when training a new part of the brain. New pathways are created over time with hundreds of repetitions. For example, if you want to open a water bottle, you may need to practice gripping small objects over and over, training your brain to do the components of the activity and then work on putting it all together.
Recovery times
Some research shows the brain has the best chance of rebuilding within the first three months after a stroke. Many survivors see the most progress when they start therapy early in the days and weeks following a stroke.
What recovery looks like
Recovery looks different for each person. Some stroke survivors may recover more quickly.
While some survivors may rebuild many of the abilities from before their stroke, other survivors will need to learn new strategies to accomplish certain tasks.