Question

An ischemic stroke is an event where part of the brain lacks blood flow, resulting in cell death. Using your understanding of the motor homunculus/somatosensory homunculus, explain how the location of an ischemic stroke determines the type of deficit in the body. If a stroke patient presents with total numbness on the left side of the body, which part of the cerebral cortex must be damaged? Indicate the hemisphere, lobe , and cortical region (primary or association area) affected.

Answer 1

An ischemic stroke occurs when there is a lack of blood flow to a part of the brain, resulting in cell death. The location of the stroke in the cerebral cortex determines the type of deficit in the body. If a stroke patient presents with total numbness on the left side of the body, the damaged area would be in the right hemisphere of the cerebral cortex, specifically in the primary somatosensory cortex.

Step-by-step explanation:

An ischemic stroke occurs when there is a lack of blood flow to a part of the brain, resulting in cell death. The motor homunculus and somatosensory homunculus are representations of the body in the cerebral cortex, with specific regions corresponding to different body parts. If a stroke patient presents with total numbness on the left side of the body, the damage would be in the right hemisphere of the cerebral cortex, specifically in the primary somatosensory cortex. This is because the primary somatosensory cortex is responsible for processing sensory information from the body.