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Overview
According to the Mayo Clinic, stroke is the leading cause of adult disability in the U.S. Some stroke survivors recover physical and mental function completely following a stroke, but about 2/3 of survivors will continue to have some type of disability throughout their life.

There are 2 types of stroke. An ischemic stroke is caused by a blocked artery in the brain, which stops blood flow to surrounding areas in the brain. A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a brain artery ruptures and there is bleeding in the brain. When either of these things happens, oxygen is cut off and brain cells begin to die around the area of the stroke within just a few minutes.

Stroke affects people very differently, because a stroke can occur in any part of the brain. For example, a stroke in the brain's occipital lobe will likely lead to impaired vision, while a stroke in your motor cortex will result in mobility problems. The type and severity of the impairment depends on the size of the stroke and the location in the brain.

Learn more about risk factors for stroke >

Because stroke affects different functional areas of the brain, there is no single recommended treatment plan for stroke. Instead, doctors and therapists of various disciplines must work together to create an appropriate rehabilitation plan to match each individual stroke victim's needs. This may involve speech therapy, physical therapy, nutrition counseling, mental health treatment, and more.

After stroke, mental and physical capabilities are regained through the brain's ability to change, or neuroplasticity. This means that a person who loses a particular function due to stroke must work very hard and in a targeted manner to retrain their brain and regain that function. With practice, a stroke survivor can strengthen neural connections for the lost functions and regain some or all of their prior abilities.

Here is some good news: according to the National Stroke Association, 80% of strokes are preventable, through diet, lifestyle, and health education measures.

Learn how you can prevent stroke >

Find out the latest research on stroke recovery.

1. Click here to learn how mental practice can help stroke victims regain movement and control of their non-functioning limbs.
2. Click here to learn more about how trained cognitive therapy tasks following stroke can generalize into real-world benefits and additional improvement on untrained tasks.
3. Click here to learn more about stroke patients with aphasia (language deficits)- and how speech-language therapy can help them recover ability and increase lifespan.

Posit Science brain training software has been an important tool for many stroke survivors. Here's what two of them say:

	"THANK YOU ALL for the help you have given me over the last two years… you have provided me with a wonderful program that has helped in every way possible, having to change from a reasonably quick mind to one reduced rather severely from strokes and radiation (cancer) in the jaw area. With the care and organizing done by all of you and the care of super-Toni (wife), you have helped me keep going." - Luther Hussey
	"I had a stroke 30 years ago and at the time I was unable to read, write or speak well. I had to work hard to get it all back. Now I am working as a part-time artist and am thankful for what I am able to do. After using your program I saw improvements in my memory, my attention and even my hearing. It was a wonderful experience." - Treva Kean Strauss