Right sided vs. Left sided Stroke

Your brain is divided into two hemispheres (right and left) which look alike, but have quite different functions. The left hemisphere, which controls the right side of your body, is thought of as the logical side of the brain. There are areas devoted to movement and vision, but large areas of the left hemisphere control language and language processing. Because of this, if a stroke occurs in the left hemisphere, there could be potential issues with speech and language as a result of the stroke. The right hemisphere, which controls the left side of the body, is often called the creative side of the brain. The right hemisphere is associated with imagination, music, abstract problem-solving, among other functions.

The results of a stroke that occurs in the right hemisphere are quite different from those following a left-sided stroke. Some of these differences are as follows:

Left Hemisphere Stroke

• Aphasia
• Visual deficits (partial or full blindness to the right side)
• Difficulty with writing, reading, speech, comprehension, arithmetic
• Difficulty following directions
• Jargon: incoherent speech
• Perseveration: repeating a word or phrase inappropriately
• Preservation: repeating a word or phrase inappropriately
• Right hemiplegia, or paralysis of the right side of the body
• Memory problems may develop along with shortened retention spans
• Struggle to learn new information as well as conceptualizing

Right Hemisphere Stroke

• Short attention span
• Left visual field loss
• Poor judgment
• Disorientation
• Denial that there is anything wrong
• Confusion about time and space concepts
• Poor hand-eye coordination and/or balance
• Movement on the left side of the body is impacted
• Left hemiplegia or paralysis in the left side of the body
• Short term memory loss

Although each half of the brain controls specific functions (and therefore causes different deficits following a stroke) both hemispheres must work together to receive information and respond appropriately. The coordination of the outer surface of the brain is necessary for both hemispheres to communicate effectively. The ability of the brain to recover deficits can be good news for recovery as undamaged areas of the brain can take over some of the functions of the damaged areas, leading to better recovery.