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What Are the Speech Symptoms of a Thalamic Stroke?

The thalamus is a part of the brain that helps a person transition between sleeping and waking states. It also assists in processing and relaying sensory information to other parts of the brain. There are two thalami, one of each side of the brain. During a thalamic stroke, blood flow to one or both of the thalami stops abruptly, leading to the death of brain cells in that area. In very severe cases, thalamic strokes can cause a coma.

  1. Left vs. Right Hemisphere

    • Whether or not a person has significant speech symptoms may depend on which side of the brain is affected. If the stroke occurs on the right side of the brain, speech may not be greatly altered because the right side of the brain does not play a large role in speech. Conversely, if the stroke occurs on the left side, there is a higher likelihood of speech issues, since the speech part of the brain is located on that side.

    Speech Problems

    • If the thalamus on the left side of the brain is affected by the stroke, speech issues are likely to occur. The most prominent and common issue that people notice when they have a thalamic stroke is slurred speech. A person may have difficulty speaking clearly and speech may sound garbled. If you do experience speech problems, a speech therapist may be able to help you improve.

    Risk Factors

    • There are certain factors that put you at higher risk for a thalamic stroke and the resulting speech symptoms. Many of these risks are related to a person's lifestyle. Cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for thalamic stroke. People with hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease also have a higher risk for a thalamic stroke.

    Prevention

    • Since many of the risk factors for a thalamic stroke are related to lifestyle choices, it is often preventable. One important thing to do in order to lower the risk of a thalamic stroke is to quit smoking. Also, making sure to get enough exercise and eat healthily will help. If you already have some of the risk factors, it is a good idea to see a doctor so he can prescribe preventative methods.

    Treatment

    • If you are worried that you may be having a thalamic stroke, it needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. Strokes come on suddenly and can do a significant amount of damage if they are not taken care of. If you notice that you or someone else is having trouble speaking or having other stroke-related symptoms, it is crucial that you get to the hospital immediately. If the stroke goes untreated for too long, the damage to the thalamus and the symptoms will be much worse.

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