G46: Vascular syndromes of brain in cerebrovascular diseases

G46.3: Brain stem stroke syndrome

The brain is made up of several areas. For example, the cerebrum is used to think and plan actions. In the cerebellum, movements are initialized and coordinated. The brain stem is responsible for various unconscious tasks such as breathing. The brain stem passes into the spinal cord.

Parts of your brain stem have impaired function. These impairments are related to blood vessels in the brain. A frequent cause, for example, is that the brain stem is not getting enough blood.

In the brain stem, many nerve connections run from the brain to the spinal cord in a very narrow space. If the brain stem is not getting enough blood, there can be a wide variety of symptoms. The symptoms depend on exactly which part of the brain stem is affected.