When someone is suspected of having had a stroke, tests will be done to confirm this or to rule it out. Often a brain scan will be done – either CT or MRI. ‘CT’ is short for computed tomography. Introduced in the 1970s, CT scanning revolutionized the investigation of brain disease, because it was now possible to see what was going on inside the brain without difficult, painful and hazardous tests. It has improved enormously, giving much clearer pictures much more quickly. ‘MRI’ stands for magnetic resonance imaging. This method is better than CT scans at showing up very small infarcts, particularly if the doctor thinks the problem is in the cerebellum or the brain stem. The reason for this is that CT scan pictures get distorted, but this is not a difficulty with MRI. The MRI scans can also show up the arteries very clearly (magnetic resonance angiography), and can therefore be used to see where the root of the problem might be. Other tests may be needed, such as an arteriogram, an echocardiogram or lumbar puncture, and we discuss these too. The results obtained from the investigations will indicate which treatment is likely to be the best for any particular person. This includes rehabilitation as well as drugs to help recovery.
