Your healthcare provider will ask you about your health history. They will give you a physical exam. You may also have these tests to diagnose a stroke.
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CT scan. This test uses X-rays and a computer to make pictures of the body. A CT scan shows detailed images of any part of the body. This includes bones, muscles, fat, and organs. CT scans are used to find changes or defects. They can also help find the site or type of stroke.
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MRI scan. This test uses large magnets, radio waves, and a computer without the use of X-ray. It makes detailed images of tissues in the body. It uses magnetic fields to see small changes in brain tissue. This helps to find and diagnose stroke.
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Radionuclide angiography. This is a type of nuclear brain scan. It is only done in special cases. A radioactive tracer is injected into a vein in the arm. Then a machine creates a map showing the tracer's movement to different parts of the head. This shows how the brain works. It can often find areas of reduced blood flow and tissue damage.
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CT angiography. This test uses CT scan technology to get images of blood vessels by injecting a contrast material.
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Magnetic resonance angiography. This test checks blood flow through arteries using MRI technology by injecting a contrast material.
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Conventional cerebral angiogram. A tube (catheter) is used to check cerebral blood. It can find the exact site of the blood vessel blockage.