Ischemic stroke: Basic pathophysiology and clinical implication

Abstract

Stroke is one of the most frequent causes of death worldwide. Clinically, stroke is a heterogeneous disease. Brain injury after stroke follows diverse signaling cascades that evolve in a complex spatiotemporal pattern. The core of the infarction is characterized by fast necrotic cell death. In the surrounding area, the penumbra, different cascades lead to delayed forms of cell death. However, endogenous protective mechanisms in the brain are geared to counteract the damaging cascades by mediating ischemic tolerance.