The endothelium, platelets, and brain ischemia.

Louis R Caplan1, Mark Fisher

  • 1Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Summary

Antithrombotic treatments target blood clots in cerebrovascular disease. Strategies include affecting platelets, endothelium, and fibrinogen levels for various clinical needs.

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An ischemic stroke occurs when a cerebral blood vessel becomes obstructed, most often by a thrombus or embolus, interrupting the delivery of oxygen and glucose to brain tissue. Because neurons rely on continuous aerobic metabolism, energy failure begins within minutes of reduced perfusion. The region receiving the least blood flow becomes the infarct core, an area of irreversible cellular death. Surrounding this core lies the penumbra, a zone of hypoperfused but still viable tissue that is...
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The Blood-brain Barrier

Overview