Brain cells require a constant supply of oxygen to stay healthy and function properly.
The basilar artery forms at the base of the skull from the vertebral arteries, which run up along the spin and come up through the rear of the neck. A reduction of blood flow for even a short period of time can be disastrous and is the primary cause of a stroke . A stroke has the same relationship to the brain as a heart attack does to the heart. Both result from a blockage in a blood vessel that interrupts the supply of oxygen to cells, resulting in the death of vital tissue. The consequences of a stroke, the type of functions affected, and the severity, depend on where in the brain the blockage has occurred and the extent of the damage.