Cerebrovascular disease refers to a group of conditions and diseases that affect the blood supply to the brain. If a blockage prevents the brain cells from receiving oxygen, even for just a few seconds, permanent damage can result.
Cerebrovascular diseases include strokes or transient ischemic attacks (a ‘stroke’ which lasts less than 24 hours). There are 3 main causes:
- blood clots or bits of ‘furring up’ which come detached from the carotid arteies in the neck;
- blood clots which become detached from ‘stagnant’ pools of blood in the heart; or
- brain haemorrhages due to aneurysms of the brain arteries or vascular malformations.
We use MRI scanning to examine the blood vessels in the brain to spot early signs of narrowing and which left unchecked could lead to a blockage and Cerebrovascular disease.