Lacunar for Dummies

Lacunar is a term that is often used in the medical field, particularly in relation to the human brain. Now, let's break it down so that you can understand it easily. Imagine your brain as a big and complex network of wires or roads that help your body function properly. Sometimes, in this intricate network, there might be small empty spaces or gaps that are known as "lacunae." It's like having little potholes on a road or holes in a fishing net.

So when we talk about something being "lacunar," it means that it is related to or has to do with these empty spaces or gaps in the brain. To put it simply, it's like saying that something is connected to or affected by those little empty spaces or gaps in the brain's network.

It's important to note that "lacunar" can also have another meaning. It can be used to describe a specific type of stroke called "lacunar stroke." Now, a stroke is when blood flow to a certain part of the brain gets interrupted. It's like if you suddenly had a traffic jam on one of the roads in your brain network. And a lacunar stroke is when this interruption happens in one of those empty spaces or gaps we talked about earlier. So when we say "lacunar stroke," we're referring to a specific type of stroke that affects those little empty spaces or gaps in the brain.

So, in a nutshell, "lacunar" means something is related to or affected by the empty spaces or gaps in the brain's network, or it can also refer to a specific type of stroke that occurs in those empty spaces or gaps. I hope that helps you understand what "lacunar" means!