Areas of the Brain Affected by Stroke and Symptoms

Below, you’ll learn about the different parts of the brain that can be impacted by
stroke. You will find a short summary of the effects of each type of stroke, and
you can click the link in each section to learn more.

The effects of a stroke will vary from person to person, so it’s best to reference a
full list of the secondary effects of stroke to get an even better idea of what to
expect after stroke.

Here are the major areas of the brain that can be affected by stroke:

1. Frontal Lobe Stroke

Almost one third of the cerebrum is comprised of the frontal lobe. It should be no
surprise that the frontal lobe plays a role in many functions. Motor skills,
executive functioning, speech, language, and social skills are all controlled, in
some part, by the frontal lobe.

Effects of a frontal lobe stroke (a type of cortical stroke) include motor

impairments, problem solving and judgement issues, behavioral changes, and
difficulty with speech (aphasia, dysarthria, or apraxia of speech), among others.

Learn more about frontal lobe stroke »

2. Parietal Lobe Stroke

A parietal lobe stroke mostly affects sensory interpretation along with language
skills and spatial awareness. Some secondary effects of this cortical stroke
include hemineglect, difficulty writing (agraphia), difficulty reading (alexia),
difficulty speaking (aphasia), and more.

Learn more about parietal lobe stroke »

3. Temporal Lobe Stroke

The temporal lobe, also part of the cerebrum, is an area of the brain that controls
language comprehension, hearing and other sensory processes. A temporal lobe
stroke may affect hearing, vision, and speech comprehension, along with other
secondary effects.

Learn more about temporal lobe stroke »

4. Occipital Lobe Stroke

The occipital lobe, the final type of cortical stroke, plays a large role in your
vision. As a result, and occipital lobe stroke often results in vision difficulties like
central vision loss, cortical blindness, visual hallucinations, or other secondary
effects.

Learn more about occipital lobe stroke »

5. Brain Stem Stroke

The brain stem is comprised of the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata. A
stroke in any of these areas is considered a brain stem stroke.

The brain stem controls basic body functions like breathing, sweating, and
consciousness. Therefore, common changes caused by a brain stem stroke
include coma, difficulty breathing, and difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), among
other secondary effects.

Learn more about brain stem stroke »

6. Cerebellar Stroke
A stroke in the cerebellum is called a cerebellar stroke. The cerebellum controls
some sensory functions and voluntary movements (especially balance and
coordination). Effects of a cerebellar stroke may include ataxia, balance issues,
and sensory issues, among others.

Learn more about cerebellar stroke »

7. Thalamic Stroke

When a stroke affects the thalamus, it’s called a thalamic stroke. One of the
biggest effects of a thalamic stroke are sensory issues because the thalamus
relays 98% of all sensory input. Numbness and sensory issues are extremely
common after a thalamic stroke. Central post stroke pain, a chronic type of pain,
is also common after a thalamic stroke.

Learn more about thalamic stroke »

8. Basal Ganglia Stroke

The basal ganglia are most associated with emotion, voluntary muscle control,
cognitive function, and memory. Therefore, basal ganglia strokes often result in
emotional blunting, post-stroke depression, and motor impairments, among other
effects.

Learn more about basal ganglia stroke »

9. Internal Capsule Stroke

The internal capsule is another region that lies deep within the brain. It plays a
large role in movement. Therefore, motor impairments are the most common
effect of an internal capsule stroke. If motor impairments are the only secondary
effect, then this type of stroke is also known as a pure motor stroke