What Is Stroke Syndrome?

A stroke syndrome is a set of symptoms that helps to identify which part of the brain has been injured. When a stroke occurs because of ischemia (inadequate oxygen supply) from blockage in an artery or hemorrhage, brain cells begin to die, and the areas of the body controlled by this part of the brain cannot function properly. According to Merck Manuals, most strokes occur in the right or left cerebral hemispheres, but rare strokes occur in the cerebellum or brain stem.

Right Hemisphere

• The Internet Stroke Center outlines syndromes associated with strokes in different areas of the brain. Strokes in the right hemisphere cause weakness or partial or complete paralysis on the left side. Vision may be impaired in your left eye, and you may have difficulty judging distance or using small motor skills, such as picking up small objects. You may react impulsively and forget or deny you are disabled, risking injury and have episodes of depression. Your short-term memory may be impaired, and you may have trouble following directions or staying focused on a task.

Left Hemisphere

• Strokes in the left hemisphere cause right-sided weakness or paralysis and impairment of vision in the right eye. You may become very cautious and slow in your behavior with episodes of depression. Your short-term memory may be impaired so you don't learn new information easily and especially have difficulty with mathematics. Merck Manuals note that the areas that control language are in the frontal and temporal regions of the left hemisphere, so a stroke there may cause you aphasia (difficulty speaking) to varying degrees from stumbling over words to inability to understand or speak. You may also have trouble reading or writing.

Cerebellum

• Cerebellar strokes are very infrequent, but because balance and coordination are controlled by the cerebellum, a stroke in this area results in ataxia (difficulty or inability to walk). You may also suffer from dizziness, headache and nausea and vomiting.

Brain Stem

• The brain stem controls critical heart and lung functions, so a stroke in the brain stem often causes death as the heart and/or lungs fail. However, if you survive, you may experience a wide range of symptoms, including heart and lung dysfunction, quadriparesis or quadriplegia (weakness or paralysis of the entire body), impaired vision, difficulty swallowing or speaking. Some people remain in a vegetative state in a permanent coma.

Considerations

• While a stroke can be devastating, the brain cells can regenerate to some degree and other parts of the brain may take over functions of damaged areas, so stroke syndromes may improve with physical therapy and/or speech therapy.