Which statement best describes the cause of an ischemic stroke?

Which statement best describes the cause of an ischemic stroke?

• A. Rupture of a cerebral blood vessel
• B. Infection of brain tissue
• C. Blockage of a cerebral artery
• D. Stroke due to low blood pressure

Answer: (C)

Ischemic stroke happens when a cerebral artery becomes blocked, usually by a clot or a buildup of plaque, which stops blood flow to a part of the brain. Without that blood supply, brain tissue is starved of oxygen and cells begin to die, leading to the stroke symptoms. This is what makes a blocked artery the defining cause. Rupture of a cerebral blood vessel causes a hemorrhagic stroke, not an ischemic one, because the problem is bleeding into the brain rather than a blockage. Infection of brain tissue isn’t a stroke at all; it’s a different condition like encephalitis. A stroke due to low blood pressure describes global reduced blood flow (hypoperfusion) rather than a focal blockage in a specific artery, so it doesn’t represent the typical mechanism of an ischemic stroke.

Ischemic stroke happens when a cerebral artery becomes blocked, usually by a clot or a buildup of plaque, which stops blood flow to a part of the brain. Without that blood supply, brain tissue is starved of oxygen and cells begin to die, leading to the stroke symptoms. This is what makes a blocked artery the defining cause.

Rupture of a cerebral blood vessel causes a hemorrhagic stroke, not an ischemic one, because the problem is bleeding into the brain rather than a blockage. Infection of brain tissue isn’t a stroke at all; it’s a different condition like encephalitis. A stroke due to low blood pressure describes global reduced blood flow (hypoperfusion) rather than a focal blockage in a specific artery, so it doesn’t represent the typical mechanism of an ischemic stroke.