Advertisement

Can stroke lead to memory loss?

Dr Debashish Chowdhury
Professor of Neurology,
GB Pant Hospital, New Delhi

Q: My father is 60 years old. He had a CVA (stroke) recently. After that, although, he has recovered well and can do his daily work but his memory has not recovered completely. That is, he forgets his words when he tries to say something. I want to know if stroke yields to memory loss. Will memory loss recover completely. Will he be able to lead a normal life again The doctor has advised Trivstal LA, Nusar H, etc.

A:Yes, stroke can lead to both language problem as well as memory loss. This depends on the side of the brain that is affected and also the location of the clot and area of infarction.Most of the patients improve following the stroke as the brain tries to regain its lost function. But that is critically dependent on lot of factors, chief among which are age, severity of stroke, extent of volume loss due to stroke, pre-existent brain reserves and how effectively the acute stroke has been managed.Now, quite a few drugs are available for managing these symptoms. Also, good preventive medications are required to prevent future strokes.