An ischemic stroke occurs when a blood vessel that supplies the brain becomes blocked or “clogged” and stops blood from getting to that part of the brain. Brain cells and tissues begin to die from lack of oxygen and nutrients. The following are types of ischemic strokes:
Embolic stroke
Caused by an a blood clot that forms elsewhere in the body (often in the heart) and travels through the bloodstream to the brain.
Thrombotic stroke (cerebral thrombosis or cerebral infarction)
Caused by a blood clot that forms in the arteries going to the brain.
Large-vessel thrombosis
When there is a blockage in one of the brain’s larger arteries (for example, carotid artery or middle cerebral artery) that supply blood to the brain.
Small-vessel thrombosis (also called Lacunar stroke)
When one of the smaller arteries in the brain becomes blocked.