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Time is brain--quantified.
1The Stroke Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. jsaver@ucla.edu
Stroke
|December 13, 2005
Summary
In acute ischemic stroke, the brain loses 1.9 million neurons, billions of synapses, and kilometers of fibers every minute. Prompt evaluation and treatment are critical to preserve brain tissue and function.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Stroke Research
Background:
- The adage "time is brain" highlights the rapid loss of nervous tissue during stroke.
- Advances in neuroimaging and stereology enable quantification of brain tissue loss in acute ischemic stroke.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the rate of neural tissue loss in acute ischemic stroke.
- To emphasize the time-critical nature of stroke evaluation and treatment.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review to establish consensus estimates.
- Gathered data on neuron, synapse, and myelinated fiber counts in the human forebrain.
- Determined typical volumes and evolution times for large vessel supratentorial ischemic stroke.
Main Results:
- Each hour of untreated large vessel ischemic stroke results in the loss of 120 million neurons, 830 billion synapses, and 714 km of myelinated fibers.
- Per minute, this equates to 1.9 million neurons, 14 billion synapses, and 12 km of fibers destroyed.
- The ischemic brain ages approximately 3.6 years for every hour without treatment.
Conclusions:
- Quantitative data underscore the extreme urgency of stroke care.
- Prompt intervention is essential to minimize irreversible neural circuitry damage.