Clinical Consequences of Stroke

Cerebrovascular disorders represent the third leading cause of mortality and the second major cause of long-term disability in North America (Delaney and Potter 1993). The impairments associated with a stroke exhibit a wide diversity of clinical signs and symptoms. Disability, which is multifactorial in its determination, varies according to the degree of neurological recovery, the site of the lesion, the patient's premorbid status and the environmental support systems. Clinical evidence is reviewed as it pertains to stroke lesion location (cerebral, right & left hemispheres; lacunar and brain stem), related disorders (emotional, visual spatial perceptual, communication, fatigue, etc.) and artery(s) affected.