An Ischemic Stroke occurs when a clot in blood vessel, cutting off the blood flow to brain cells. The primary condition for this type of obstruction is the development of fatty deposits lining the vessel walls. This condition is called atherosclerosis.
Cuases of fatty deposits are two types.
It refers to a thrombus (blood clot) that develops at the clogged part of the vessel.
It refers generally to a blood clot that forms at another location in the circulatory system, usually the heart and large arteries of the upper chest and neck. A portion of the blood clot breaks loose, enters the bloodstream and travels through the brain's blood vessels until it reaches vessels too small to let it pass. A second important cause of embolism is an irregular heartbeat, known as atrial fibrillation. It creates conditions where clots can form in the heart, dislodge and travel to the brain.