26/07/2026
Ref Medscape, May 14, 2024.
Left v’s Right Brain Strokes : What is the difference ?
A Stroke happens when blood flow is cut off to certain parts of the brain. We can think of a stroke like our brain’s version of a heart attack.
When parts of the brain don’t get enough blood, the cells in that area become damaged and die. When too many cells die, we can lose the abilities that those cells were responsible for.
Left Brain Stroke
The left hemisphere of the brain controls most of our communication skills, such as the ability to form coherent sentences and understand what others are saying. It also helps with problem-solving, strategizing and analyzing. And it’s the left hemisphere that controls movement on the right side of the body.
After a stroke on the left side of the brain, people can have trouble with some of the functions that are typically controlled by the left side of the brain. A common effect of this is ‘Aphasia’ or difficulty speaking.
Right Brain Stroke
The right hemisphere of the brain controls movement on the left side of the body. It’s also responsible for things like emotions and imagination. The right hemisphere of the cerebral cortex also helps with spatial orientation which includes things like a sense of direction or recognizing when things are closer to us versus farther away.
Weakness or paralysis on the left side of the body effecting the face, arms or legs.
A neurologist, can see where a stroke has affected the brain through imaging tests, like CT Scans or MRI Scans.
