Vascular neurology is the specialized treatment of strokes and stroke risk factors. You may need to see a vascular neurologist during or after a stroke, or if you are at risk of having a stroke. Vascular neurologists are often called stroke doctors because, in addition to taking care of people who have neurological conditions, they concentrate all or most of their work on taking care of people who have challenging stroke problems. All neurologists have a great deal of experience in managing strokes. Vascular neurology requires additional subspecialty training after completion of a four-year neurology residency. This subspecialty training may take between one to three years, and is focused on the latest techniques in stroke care, including interventional treatments. A stroke is characterized by symptoms such as weakness, numbness, vision changes and speech disturbance. These symptoms are caused by damage to the brain, usually resulting from an interruption of blood supply or by a hemorrhage (bleeding) in the brain.