Blood Supply to the Brain

Question 1

What areas of the brain are supplied by the anterior cerebral arteries? (2)

Answer 1

Anterior frontal lobe

Medial surface of the frontal and parietal lobe

Question 2

What impairments are expected with damage to the anterior cerebral artery? (9)

Answer 2

1. Contralateral LE motor and sensory involvement
2. Loss of bowel and bladder control
3. Loss of behavioral inhibition
4. Significant mental changes
5. Neglect
6. Aphasia
7. Apraxia and agraphia
8. Preservation
9. Akinetic mutism with significant bilateral involvement

Question 3

What impairments are expected with bilateral occlusion of the anterior cerebral artery? (5)

Answer 3

1. Paraplegia
2. Incontinence
3. Abulic aphasia
4. Personality changes
5. Akinetic mutism

Question 4

What areas of the brain are supplied by the middle cerebral arteries? (6)

Answer 4

Most of outer cerebrum
Basal ganglia
Posterior and Anterior internal capsule
Putamen
Pallidum
Lentiform nucleus

Question 5

What impairments are expected with damage to the middle cerebral artery? (8)

Answer 5

1. Wernicke’s aphasia in dominant hemisphere
2. Anosognosia in nondominant hemisphere
3. Flat affect with right hemisphere damage
4. Homonymous hemianopsia
5. Apraxia
6. Contralateral weakness and sensory loss of face and UE with lesser involvement of LE
7. Impaired spatial relations
8. Impaired body schema

Question 6

What is the most common site of a CVA?

Answer 6

Middle cerebral artery

Question 7

What areas of the brain are supplied by the posterior cerebral arteries? (6)

Answer 7

Portion of midbrain
Subthalamic nucleus 
Basal nucleus 
Thalamus
Inferior temporal lobe
Occipital and occipitoparietal cortices

Question 8

What impairments are expected with damage to the posterior cerebral artery? (12)

Answer 8

1. Contralateral pain and temperature sensory loss
2. Contralateral hemiplegia, mild hemiparesis
3. Ataxia, athetosis or choreiform movement
4. Quality of movement is impaired
5. Thalamic pain syndrome
6. Anomia
7. Prosopagnosia with occipital infarct
8. Hemiballismus
9. Visual agnosia
10. Homonymous hemianopsia
11. Memory impairment
12. Alexia, dyslexia

Question 9

What impairments are expected with bilateral occlusion of the middle cerebral artery? (2)

Answer 9

Contralateral hemiplegia and sensory impairment

Wernicke’s or Broca’s Aphasia

Question 10

What impairments are expected with bilateral occlusion of the posterior cerebral artery? (2)

Answer 10

Thalamic pain syndrome

Cortical blindness

Question 11

What is cortical blindness?

Answer 11

Loss of vision due to damage to the visual portion of the occipital cortex.

Affected eye is physically normal, but there is still partial or full vision loss

Question 12

What impairments are expected with occlusion of the vertebral basilar artery? (4)

Answer 12

Locked in syndrome
Vegetative state
Coma
Wallenberg syndrome

Question 13

What are the symptoms of Wallenberg syndrome? (4)

Answer 13

Ipsilateral facial pain and temperature impairment
Contralateral pain and temperature impairment of body
Ipsilateral ataxia
Vertigo

Question 14

What areas of the brain are supplied by the vertebral basilar artery?

Answer 14

Cerebellum
Pons
Medulla
Midbrain and thalamus 
Occipital cortex

Question 15

What impairments are expected with damage to the vertebral basilar artery? (11)

Answer 15

1. Loss of consciousness
2. Hemiplegia or tetraplegia
3. Comatose or vegetative state
4. Inability to speak
5. Locked in syndrome
6. Vertigo
7. Nystagmus
8. Dysphagia
9. Dysarthria
10. Syncope
11. Ataxia