The location of the stroke is probably the most relevant factor related to the need for mechanical ventilation (MV), rather than the particular type of cerebrovascular pathology. In this context, impairment of the brain areas that regulate the level of consciousness (thalami, the limbic system, the reticular formation in the brainstem), breathing (respiratory centres in the cortex, pons, and medulla), and swallowing (medulla and brainstem connections) increases the risk of respiratory failure [4