clinical features
Last reviewed 01/2018
Occlusion at the origin of the middle cerebral artery produces:
- contralateral hemiplegia - face, tongue, and upper limb most affected; leg relatively spared
- contralateral hemisensory loss and hemianopia
- neuropsychological effects:
- neglect of contralateral limbs and dressing difficulty if non-dominant hemisphere
- global dysphasia and Gerstmann's syndrome if dominant hemisphere
Occlusion of individual cortical branches produces more moderate impairment. A Wernicke's or Broca's dysphasia may develop without limb weakness or sensory loss.