1. A list of common and interesting stroke symptoms.
Not an exhausted list!

2. Motor and sensory

3. Hemiplegia
Total paralysis of the arm, trunk and leg on one side of the body.
Occurs contralateral to the side of the infarct.
Hemiparesis is a similar term that refers to a weakness on side of the body.

4. Hemisensory deficits
Decreased sensory awareness of one side of the body.
Often occurs in a boot or glove like distribution
Often assessed with light touch with Pt required to call out the side being touched
Don’t forget other senses: pain, proprioception, temperature, etc.

5. Apraxia Loss of the ability to carry out learned movements
A disorder of motor planning, Pt will have the desire and motor ability to complete the task

6. Ataxia Disturbed movement coordination
Pt may look drunk, think ataxia or check the alcohol hand gel
Lesions usually located within cerebellum or brainstem

7. Lateropulsion
A tendency move or lean sideways involuntarily

8. Vision and perception

9. Neglect Pt acts as if one side of space does not exist
This is with the absence of visual deficits
More commonly seen with right- sided infarcts

10. Homonymous hemianopia
Blindness or reduction of vision in one half of the visual field
Occurs on the same side of both eyes

11. Quadrantanopia
A defect of the visual field that effects just a quarter of the field.

12. Tactile agnosia
Agnosia is a loss of ability to recognize things without defective senses or memory.
Tactile agnosia refers to the loss of the ability to recognise things by touch.

13. Diplopia
Double vision

14. Nystagmus
Rapid eye movements in one direction, alternating with a slower movement in the opposite direction

15. Language and communication

16. Aphasia Inability to communicate
Receptive or fluent aphasia, inability to understand language in its written or spoken form.
Expressive or non-fluent aphasia, inability to generate speech.

17. Dysarthia Motor disorder of speech Characterised by poor articulation
Pt finds it difficult to produce or sustain range, force, speed an coordination of movements to articulate

18. Other

19. Anosognosia A deficit of self-awareness,
A person who suffers certain disability seems unaware of the existence of his or her disability.

20. Aprosodia
Inability of a person to properly convey or interpret emotional context

21. Dysphagia
Difficulty with swallowing due lack of control and coordination of the muscles involved

22. Alexia
Acquired dyslexia

23. Aboulia Refers to a lack of will or initiative
Can be seen as a disorder of diminished motivation

24. Vertigo
Dizziness in which the Pt inappropriate experiences the perception of motion.
Associated with nausea and vommiting

25. References
Stokes M and Stack E (2011) Physical Management for Neurological Conditions (Third Edition). Edinburgh: Elsevier