In medicine, the abbreviation PRIND stands for the prolonged reversible ischemic neurological deficit. A PRIND is therefore a kind of minor stroke. A stroke is caused by reduced blood flow in the brain.
If a part of the brain is damaged in such a way that it is no longer reversible, this is called a stroke. If the damage is still reversible, it is called a TIA (transient ischemic attack) or a PRIND. The difference between the two is that the symptoms of PRIND develop more slowly than those of TIA and also regress more slowly.
In a TIA, the symptoms regress completely after 24 hours at the latest. If the symptoms are still present after the 24 hours, this is called a PRIND. From this point of view, a PRIND is a mini-stroke, which is completely but very slowly regressing. The symptoms can last up to a few weeks. In the meantime, however, the definitions of a TIA and a PRIND are considered to be too vague and are therefore no longer distinguished.
Causes
The causes of a PRIND are the same as for a stroke and are therefore, just like a TIA, seen as a harbinger of a stroke. A PRIND is caused by reduced blood flow to the brain. This can have two causes, either the vessel is blocked by a plug or the walls of a vessel in the brain are so heavily covered with plaque that the blood can no longer flow properly.
If the blood flow is disturbed, the blood flow is reduced at the point in the brain that is supplied by the blood vessel. Since the blood transports oxygen and nutrients, depending on the strength of the reduced blood flow, this can lead to a loss of brain function. Usually this plug consists of clotted blood, but it can also consist of fat.
If a blood clot, also known as a thrombus, a vessel in the brain, the cause is usually not in the brain but elsewhere. The blood clot is usually formed in the legs or heart and “flies” through the body towards the brain. However, the vessels in the brain are so small that the clot often gets stuck there and cannot simply pass through as in the other vessels. Risk factors for the formation of such a blood clot are: high blood pressure coagulation disorders (usually hereditary) pregnancy varicose veins long periods of bed rest or long car/bus rides atrial fibrillation (a cardiac arrhythmia) As already mentioned, plaque can also form on the vessels in the brain. The main risk factors for plaque formation are diabetes high blood pressure high blood lipid levels obesity
- High blood pressure
- Coagulation disorders (mostly hereditary)
- Pregnancy
- Varicose Veins
- Long bed rest or long car/bus trips
- Atrial fibrillation (a heart rhythm disorder)
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- High blood lipid values
- Obesity
- Lack of exercise
