Because of the organization of the nervous system, an injury to one side of the brain affects the opposite side of the body. The consequences of a stroke may include physical, sensory, cognitive-communication, swallowing and emotional issues.
Physical deficits after stroke are characterized by muscle weakness or paralysis, typically on one side of the body. Often, the person loses movement and/or feeling in the arm and/or leg opposite the side of the brain affected by the stroke. So, if a person has a stroke on the left side of the brain, he or she may have weakness or paralysis in the right arm and leg. This makes it difficult for the person to perform activities of daily living (e.g., dressing, feeding, bathing, tying shoes, etc.). Physical effects also include pain, fatigue, changes in muscle tone, and gait disturbances.
Sensory deficits can involve all sensory modalities depending on the areas of the brain that are involved. A stroke can result in the individual being either less or more sensitive to sensations, experiencing altered sensations, or being unable to synthesize sensations to identify his or her own location in space. Sometimes (more typically in right hemisphere brain damage) a person may be able to see objects in only certain parts of his or her field of vision after the stroke. Sensory deficits may also impact gait and balance.
Communication deficits are characterized by difficulty in understanding or producing speech correctly (aphasia), slurred speech consequent to weak muscles (dysarthria), and/or difficulty in programming oral muscles for speech production (apraxia). These deficits vary in nature and severity depending on the extent and location of the damage. Some individuals may also have difficulty in social communication, such as difficulty taking turns in conversation and problems maintaining a topic of conversation.
Cognitive deficits include (but are not limited to) difficulties in attention, awareness, orientation, memory, problem solving, and reasoning skills. Individuals who have suffered a stroke may also have trouble concentrating when there are internal and external distractions (e.g., carrying on a conversation in a noisy restaurant, dividing attention among multiple tasks/demands).
• Swallowing deficits (dysphagia) may also result from a stroke due to weakness and/or incoordination of muscles in the mouth and throat.
Emotional deficits may be marked by the display of inappropriate emotions and extreme mood fluctuations. The affected individual may laugh when something isn't funny or cry for no apparent reason. This behavior is particularly common early in the recovery process. A stroke survivor may become very frustrated with the inability to function independently—a situation that may lead to anger and depression.(asha.org)
Sensory deficits can involve all sensory modalities depending on the areas of the brain that are involved. A stroke can result in the individual being either less or more sensitive to sensations, experiencing altered sensations, or being unable to synthesize sensations to identify his or her own location in space. Sometimes (more typically in right hemisphere brain damage) a person may be able to see objects in only certain parts of his or her field of vision after the stroke. Sensory deficits may also impact gait and balance.
Communication deficits are characterized by difficulty in understanding or producing speech correctly (aphasia), slurred speech consequent to weak muscles (dysarthria), and/or difficulty in programming oral muscles for speech production (apraxia). These deficits vary in nature and severity depending on the extent and location of the damage. Some individuals may also have difficulty in social communication, such as difficulty taking turns in conversation and problems maintaining a topic of conversation.
Cognitive deficits include (but are not limited to) difficulties in attention, awareness, orientation, memory, problem solving, and reasoning skills. Individuals who have suffered a stroke may also have trouble concentrating when there are internal and external distractions (e.g., carrying on a conversation in a noisy restaurant, dividing attention among multiple tasks/demands).
• Swallowing deficits (dysphagia) may also result from a stroke due to weakness and/or incoordination of muscles in the mouth and throat.
Emotional deficits may be marked by the display of inappropriate emotions and extreme mood fluctuations. The affected individual may laugh when something isn't funny or cry for no apparent reason. This behavior is particularly common early in the recovery process. A stroke survivor may become very frustrated with the inability to function independently—a situation that may lead to anger and depression.(asha.org)
