In the case of stroke, faster diagnosis means earlier treatment. And earlier treatment means better chances for recovery. Due to the urgent nature of stroke treatment, the Emory Stroke Center has equipped itself with a highly specialized staff that works closely together using the most advanced technology available in order to diagnose stroke and its related conditions quickly and accurately.

Advanced technology
Advances in technology have allowed doctors to view any malformations or injuries in the brain in order to diagnose the type and location of the stroke. Recent developments have also enabled physicians to detect pre-stroke conditions, such as aneurysms and vascular malformations, to help prevent strokes from happening. Unlike any other center in the Southeast, Emory is equipped with these and other cutting-edge technologies, enabling us to provide patients with an elite level of care. Our neuroimaging and other various technologies include:

• Neurovascular ultrasound: A painless test that uses high-frequency sound waves to detect and diagnose atherosclerosis, or thickening of the artery wall, in the carotid artery as well as arteries in the brain tissue and inside the skull.
  
  
• MRI: Magnetic Resonance Imaging produces highly precise pictures of organs and tissues, such as the brain, with the use of powerful magnets that a computer then translates into images.
  
  
• MRA: Magnetic Resonance Angiography is an MRI study that provides images of blood vessels supplying blood to the brain.
  
  
• CT: Computed Tomography uses an X-ray tube that focuses a precise beam of light on a section of the brain. A computer analyzes the readings from the X-ray at thousands of different points and converts the information into images that can then be analyzed.
  
  
• CTA: Computed Tomographic Angiography uses CT technology along with sophisticated computer technology to produce elegant images of the brain's blood vessels in a noninvasive manner.
  
  
• SPECT: Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography produces 3-D images of brain activity and blood flow with the use of a radioisotope compound that is injected into a vein and then moves through the blood stream to sites in the brain. A special "gamma" camera is rotated around the patient's head. The camera detects the areas where the isotopes have gathered and a supercomputer then translates the images into a "map" that shows brain function in detail.
  
  
• EKG: An electrocardiogram (EKG) may be done to identify any cardiac problems that may have led to the stroke, such as a prior heart attack.
  
  
• EEG: Electroencephalogram (EEG). Electrodes attached to the scalp are connected by wires (leads) to an electroencephalograph machine that charts the electrical activity of the brain.
  
  
• Evoked-potential study: The brain's response to sight, hearing, and touch stimuli is tested and measured.