‘The Main Thing Is to Recognise It in Time’

October 29 is World Stroke Day. HSE Life talked with Olga Buivolova, junior research fellow at the Center for Language and Brain, about the origin of stroke, how to recognise it and what to do, and the contribution of HSE linguists to the fight against it.

In almost every country in the world, stroke is among the top three causes of death. Russia is no exception, where it is the second most common cause of death after cardiovascular diseases.

The concept of ‘stroke’ combines several types of cerebrovascular disorders. As a rule, these disorders occur due to problems with blood vessels, and therefore doctors talk a lot about the prevention of vascular diseases. A healthy diet, abstaining from bad habits, and the optimal level of physical activity can help prevent stroke.

There are several types of stroke. The first is ischemic, when an artery in the brain gets clogged and blood stops flowing. The second type, haemorrhagic (commonly called a ‘brain haemorrhage’), can occur when an artery becomes thin and ruptures. Blood floods important parts of the brain and they stop working. In addition to these differences, strokes are different in localisation and lesion.

If the stroke is caused by a violation of the circulation in a small artery, a person may not even feel such a stroke and keep on functioning as usual. A completely different situation occurs when the work of large arteries and blood vessels is disrupted. As we know, different parts of the brain are responsible for different functions. If a part of the brain responsible for movement is affected, paresis occurs: the victim’s arm or leg can be paralysed and facial expressions can be disturbed. Cognitive functions may suffer. Areas in the frontal and temporal parts of the brain, in the white matter connecting them, are responsible for speech, and if these areas are affected, speech can become confused, slowed down, and distorted. In the case of an extensive stroke, a range of functions, both motor and cognitive, may be disrupted.

The most important thing in this situation is to correctly recognise a stroke and call for help in time, since the first hours after a stroke are the most important. Any delay in providing help will complicate subsequent treatment. If the person is conscious and you suspect that he or she has had a stroke, you need to ask them to tell you their name, ask them to smile, raise an arm, leg and, if you notice any symptoms, call an ambulance.

I am a linguist and I work at the Center for Language and Brain. We are engaged in speech research after a stroke. These studies have both theoretical and practical components. You might wonder how linguists can help in the fight against stroke, but in fact, we are doing important work. We are working with the Center for Speech Pathology and Neurorehabilitation to find out which parts of the brain are responsible for particular speech functions and to create speech recovery programmes. While working with Russia’s largest speech rehabilitation centre engaged in various brain disorders, we have seen powerful progress being made in the treatment of strokes.

The experts work on comprehensive recovery of all functions—motor, speech and cognitive. The centre carries out rehabilitation using various simulators, virtual reality, brain stimulation; they use both group and individual therapeutic programmes, not only speech, but also music and physiotherapy.

In addition to the practical benefits, our work has great theoretical value. Speech disorders allow us to draw conclusions about the overall function of the brain. With these studies, we are moving towards a more complete understanding of how our brain functions and what we need to do to make it function better.

October 28, 2022