Each year around 9,000 people in New Zealand experience a stroke.
A stroke occurs when the blood flow to the brain is blocked or reduced by a clot or when a blood vessel bursts and a bleed occurs into the brain. In both scenarios brain cells are starved of oxygen and die.
Once you've had a stroke, the quicker you can identify and start treating it, the less damage will be done to the affected part of the brain and the better the outcomes for the person affected.
Professor Nicholas Dale of the University of Warwick is developing a simple blood test to detect if you've had one.
Head MRI showing deep intracerebral hemorrhage (cerebellum) Photo: (By Bobjgalindo - Own work, GFDL)
