Ischemic Stroke Mechanisms, Prevention, and Treatment: The Anesthesiologist’s Perspective

Abstract

Aim of review: Stroke remains a leading cause of mortality and morbidity. After decades of extensive research, we have gained a detailed understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms governing stroke pathophysiology. Despite these advances, few novel and effective treatments have been discovered. Understanding the mechanisms that underlie ischemic brain damage may direct research on future therapies. Methods: We reviewed the available literature pertaining to stroke pathology in the past decades and provided brief summaries of the important basic and clinical stroke findings.Recent findings: This review provided an overview of basic stroke mechanisms and highlighted the main events and processes that lead to cellular demise. We concluded with stroke preventative measures and treatment, highlighting the role of anesthesiologists in preventing perioperative stroke.Summary: An appreciation of our current understanding of stroke pathology may inform the development of new therapies or preventative measures for stroke, such as anesthetic preconditioning, and lead to optimal perioperative management of patients at high risk for stroke.  Citation: Myles R. McCrary, Song Wang, Ling Wei. Ischemic stroke mechanisms, prevention, and treatment: the anesthesiologist's perspective. J Anesth Perioper Med 2017; 4: 76-86. doi:10.24015/JAPM.2017.0022This is an open-access article, published by Evidence Based Communications (EBC). This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format for any lawful purpose. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.