Cerebral Artery Territories Quiz: ACA, MCA, PCA
Updated
The ACA supplies the medial frontal and parietal lobes, the MCA supplies the lateral hemisphere and basal ganglia, and the PCA supplies the occipital lobe and inferior temporal lobe. Strokes cause leg, face/arm, or visual deficits respectively.
This quiz tests your understanding of the vascular territories of the three major cerebral arteries: the anterior cerebral artery (ACA), middle cerebral artery (MCA), and posterior cerebral artery (PCA). It also covers the circle of Willis and common stroke syndromes. It is suitable for medical, nursing, and neuroscience students.
Before you start, remember that each artery feeds a predictable region of the brain. Damage to an artery therefore produces a consistent set of symptoms. Knowing the map of brain regions to arteries helps you predict deficits and localize strokes, even without imaging.
The questions
Which artery supplies most of the lateral surface of the cerebral hemisphere, including Broca's and Wernicke's areas?
Which artery supplies the medial surface of the frontal and parietal lobes, including the paracentral lobule?
Which artery supplies the primary visual cortex (striate cortex) in the occipital lobe?
A stroke in the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) most often causes which of the following?
A stroke in the MCA territory of the dominant hemisphere typically produces which language deficit?
A stroke in the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) most often causes which visual deficit?
Which vessel directly connects the internal carotid artery system to the posterior cerebral artery, forming part of the circle of Willis?
The lenticulostriate arteries, which supply the basal ganglia and internal capsule, are branches of which artery?
Broca's area is located in the territory of which cerebral artery?
Wernicke's area is located in the territory of which cerebral artery?
The hippocampus receives its main arterial supply from which artery?
The corpus callosum is primarily supplied by which artery?
Which artery supplies the insula?
A patient presents with sudden onset of contralateral leg weakness, urinary incontinence, and personality changes. Which artery is most likely occluded?
Which of the following deficits is most characteristic of a right MCA territory stroke in a right-handed person?
0 of 15 answered · 0 correct
Cheat sheet: key terms
| ACA | Supplies medial frontal and parietal lobes; stroke causes contralateral leg weakness and sensory loss, often with urinary incontinence. |
|---|---|
| MCA | Supplies lateral hemisphere and basal ganglia; stroke causes contralateral face/arm weakness, aphasia or neglect. |
| PCA | Supplies occipital lobe and inferior temporal lobe; stroke causes contralateral homonymous hemianopia, often with macular sparing. |
| Circle of Willis | Anastomotic ring connecting anterior and posterior circulations via communicating arteries, providing collateral flow. |
| Lenticulostriate arteries | Small perforating branches of the MCA that supply the basal ganglia and internal capsule; common site of lacunar strokes. |
| Homunculus mapping | Leg is represented medially (ACA), face and arm laterally (MCA), explaining vascular-specific deficits. |
| Aphasia vs neglect | Dominant hemisphere MCA stroke causes aphasia; non-dominant causes hemispatial neglect. |
| PCA syndromes | Include visual field defects, visual agnosia, and memory loss due to hippocampal involvement. |
Answers explained
Show all 15 answers
- Which artery supplies most of the lateral surface of the cerebral hemisphere, including Broca's and Wernicke's areas? Middle cerebral artery. The MCA supplies the lateral convexity of the frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes, including the language areas. The ACA and PCA supply medial and posterior regions respectively.
- Which artery supplies the medial surface of the frontal and parietal lobes, including the paracentral lobule? Anterior cerebral artery. The ACA runs in the interhemispheric fissure and supplies the medial cortex from the frontal pole to the parieto-occipital sulcus.
- Which artery supplies the primary visual cortex (striate cortex) in the occipital lobe? Posterior cerebral artery. The PCA supplies the occipital lobe, including the calcarine cortex where primary visual cortex is located.
- A stroke in the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) most often causes which of the following? Contralateral leg weakness. The ACA supplies the medial motor cortex where the leg is represented, so leg weakness is characteristic.
- A stroke in the MCA territory of the dominant hemisphere typically produces which language deficit? Aphasia. Language areas (Broca's and Wernicke's) are supplied by the MCA in the dominant hemisphere, so damage causes aphasia.
- A stroke in the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) most often causes which visual deficit? Contralateral homonymous hemianopia. PCA occlusion damages the visual cortex or optic radiations, leading to loss of the opposite half of the visual field in both eyes.
- Which vessel directly connects the internal carotid artery system to the posterior cerebral artery, forming part of the circle of Willis? Posterior communicating artery. The posterior communicating artery links the ICA to the PCA, allowing collateral flow between anterior and posterior circulations.
- The lenticulostriate arteries, which supply the basal ganglia and internal capsule, are branches of which artery? Middle cerebral artery. Lenticulostriate arteries arise from the proximal MCA and are common sites of lacunar infarcts causing pure motor hemiparesis.
- Broca's area is located in the territory of which cerebral artery? Middle cerebral artery. Broca's area in the inferior frontal gyrus lies on the lateral surface, which is supplied by the MCA.
- Wernicke's area is located in the territory of which cerebral artery? Middle cerebral artery. Wernicke's area in the superior temporal gyrus lies on the lateral surface, supplied by the MCA.
- The hippocampus receives its main arterial supply from which artery? Posterior cerebral artery. The PCA gives off branches to the medial temporal lobe, including the hippocampus, so occlusion can cause memory impairment.
- The corpus callosum is primarily supplied by which artery? Anterior cerebral artery. The pericallosal artery, a branch of the ACA, runs along the corpus callosum and supplies it.
- Which artery supplies the insula? Middle cerebral artery. The insular cortex lies deep within the lateral sulcus and is supplied by M2 branches of the MCA.
- A patient presents with sudden onset of contralateral leg weakness, urinary incontinence, and personality changes. Which artery is most likely occluded? Anterior cerebral artery. ACA stroke affects the medial frontal lobe including paracentral lobule (leg) and prefrontal cortex, causing these symptoms.
- Which of the following deficits is most characteristic of a right MCA territory stroke in a right-handed person? Left hemispatial neglect. The non-dominant (right) hemisphere MCA supplies parietal regions critical for spatial attention, so damage causes neglect of the left side.
See it in 3D: open the interactive brain and click any region, or ask the AI coach anything you missed.