Middle Cerebral Artery Infarct
Signs and Symptoms
The middle cerebral artery is the largest branch of the internal carotid artery, supplying a portion of the frontal lobe and the lateral surface of the temporal and parietal lobes of the brain. Included in these areas are the primary motor and sensory areas of the face, throat, hand and arm and in the dominant hemisphere, and the areas for speech. Unfortunately, the middle cerebral artery is the artery most often occluded in stroke, and it is estimated that nearly 80% of strokes to this area are fatal (Uhl, 2004).
Stroke is suspected in individuals who experience any of the following signs or symptoms:
- Sudden, severe headache
- Sudden, unexplained coma
- Sudden impairment of consciousness
A stroke can occur anywhere in the brain, and the resulting signs and symptoms will vary based on its location. The following signs and symptoms serve as a valuable diagnostic tool for clinicians to differentiate between the middle cerebral artery and other areas of the brain that may be involved in the accident.
- Sudden, severe headache
- Sudden, unexplained coma
- Sudden impairment of consciousness
A stroke can occur anywhere in the brain, and the resulting signs and symptoms will vary based on its location. The following signs and symptoms serve as a valuable diagnostic tool for clinicians to differentiate between the middle cerebral artery and other areas of the brain that may be involved in the accident.
Signs and symptoms of a stroke that has occurred in the middle cerebral artery can include:
-Contralateral weakness that is worse in the arm and face than in the leg
-Sensory loss in the arms and face
-Depressed consciousness
-Deviation of gaze toward the side of the lesion
-Damage to the dominant hemisphere (usually the left hemisphere) results in aphasia
-Damage to the non-dominant hemisphere (usually the right hemisphere) results in contralateral neglect
-Contralateral weakness that is worse in the arm and face than in the leg
-Sensory loss in the arms and face
-Depressed consciousness
-Deviation of gaze toward the side of the lesion
-Damage to the dominant hemisphere (usually the left hemisphere) results in aphasia
-Damage to the non-dominant hemisphere (usually the right hemisphere) results in contralateral neglect