Stroke Quiz: Signs, Types and Brain Areas
Updated
Stroke is a medical emergency. Ischaemic strokes (blockage) are more common than haemorrhagic (bleeding). The FAST acronym helps recognise signs. Brain artery territories predict specific deficits.
This quiz covers the essentials of stroke: ischaemic vs haemorrhagic types, FAST warning signs, brain artery territories, and functional deficits by location. It is designed for neuroscience students and healthcare trainees who need a quick self-assessment.
Before starting, recall that a stroke is a sudden loss of neurological function due to disrupted blood flow. The affected brain region determines the deficit, and time to treatment is critical. Understanding vascular anatomy and functional localisation is key.
The questions
What is the key difference between an ischaemic and a haemorrhagic stroke?
In the FAST acronym for stroke recognition, what does the letter 'A' stand for?
Which of the following is NOT a typical component of the FAST stroke screening?
A transient ischaemic attack (TIA) is best defined as:
Which cerebral artery supplies the lateral surface of the brain, including the primary motor and sensory cortices for the face and arm?
A stroke in the anterior cerebral artery territory most likely causes:
Damage to Broca's area from a stroke typically results in which language deficit?
A stroke affecting the cerebellum would most likely produce which symptom?
Which brain region, when damaged by stroke, is classically associated with contralateral hemispatial neglect?
What is the most common underlying cause of haemorrhagic stroke?
A stroke in the posterior cerebral artery territory typically causes which visual deficit?
Locked-in syndrome, where a patient is conscious but unable to move or speak except for vertical eye movements, is most often caused by a stroke in which territory?
Which symptom is most characteristic of an acute stroke?
Damage to Wernicke's area from a stroke typically causes which type of aphasia?
A patient presents with right-sided weakness affecting the face and arm more than the leg. Which artery is most likely occluded?
0 of 15 answered · 0 correct
Cheat sheet: key terms
| Ischaemic stroke | Caused by a blood clot blocking a brain artery, accounting for about 85% of strokes. |
|---|---|
| Haemorrhagic stroke | Caused by a ruptured blood vessel bleeding into the brain, often due to hypertension. |
| FAST | Acronym for Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call emergency services. |
| Middle cerebral artery | Supplies lateral brain surface; stroke causes contralateral face and arm weakness, and aphasia if dominant hemisphere. |
| Anterior cerebral artery | Supplies medial frontal and parietal lobes; stroke causes contralateral leg weakness and behavioural changes. |
| Posterior cerebral artery | Supplies occipital lobe; stroke causes contralateral visual field loss, often with macular sparing. |
| Transient ischaemic attack | Temporary blockage with symptoms resolving within 24 hours; a warning sign for future stroke. |
| Broca's area | Frontal lobe region for speech production; damage results in non-fluent aphasia. |
Answers explained
Show all 15 answers
- What is the key difference between an ischaemic and a haemorrhagic stroke? Blockage of a blood vessel vs. rupture of a blood vessel. Ischaemic strokes result from a blocked artery, while haemorrhagic strokes result from a ruptured artery causing bleeding into or around the brain.
- In the FAST acronym for stroke recognition, what does the letter 'A' stand for? Arm weakness. FAST stands for Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, and Time to call emergency services. Arm weakness is a common sign.
- Which of the following is NOT a typical component of the FAST stroke screening? Severe headache. Severe headache is more common in haemorrhagic stroke but is not part of the FAST acronym, which focuses on facial drooping, arm weakness, and speech.
- A transient ischaemic attack (TIA) is best defined as: A brief episode of neurological dysfunction caused by temporary ischaemia without infarction. A TIA is a temporary blockage that resolves within 24 hours, causing no permanent brain injury; it is a major risk factor for future stroke.
- Which cerebral artery supplies the lateral surface of the brain, including the primary motor and sensory cortices for the face and arm? Middle cerebral artery. The middle cerebral artery (MCA) supplies the lateral convexity, including the face and arm areas of the motor and sensory homunculi.
- A stroke in the anterior cerebral artery territory most likely causes: Contralateral leg weakness. The anterior cerebral artery supplies the medial surface where the leg area of the motor cortex is located, so damage causes mainly contralateral leg weakness.
- Damage to Broca's area from a stroke typically results in which language deficit? Non-fluent aphasia with intact comprehension. Broca's area is critical for speech production; damage leads to non-fluent, effortful speech while comprehension remains relatively preserved.
- A stroke affecting the cerebellum would most likely produce which symptom? Ataxia and loss of coordination. The cerebellum coordinates movement; damage causes ataxia, dysmetria, and difficulty with balance and fine motor control, without paralysis.
- Which brain region, when damaged by stroke, is classically associated with contralateral hemispatial neglect? Right parietal lobe. Neglect is more common and severe with right hemisphere damage, particularly the right parietal cortex, which is crucial for spatial attention.
- What is the most common underlying cause of haemorrhagic stroke? Hypertension. Chronic high blood pressure weakens vessel walls, leading to rupture and intracerebral haemorrhage, the most common cause of haemorrhagic stroke.
- A stroke in the posterior cerebral artery territory typically causes which visual deficit? Contralateral homonymous hemianopia with macular sparing. The posterior cerebral artery supplies the occipital cortex; damage causes loss of the opposite visual field, but the macula is often spared due to dual blood supply.
- Locked-in syndrome, where a patient is conscious but unable to move or speak except for vertical eye movements, is most often caused by a stroke in which territory? Basilar artery. Basilar artery occlusion infarcts the ventral pons, sparing the reticular activating system but damaging corticospinal and corticobulbar tracts, causing quadriplegia and anarthria.
- Which symptom is most characteristic of an acute stroke? Sudden onset of focal neurological deficit. Stroke is defined by an abrupt loss of neurological function due to vascular occlusion or haemorrhage; symptoms appear suddenly, within minutes.
- Damage to Wernicke's area from a stroke typically causes which type of aphasia? Fluent aphasia with poor comprehension. Wernicke's area is essential for language comprehension; damage leads to fluent, often meaningless speech with severe comprehension deficits.
- A patient presents with right-sided weakness affecting the face and arm more than the leg. Which artery is most likely occluded? Left middle cerebral artery. The middle cerebral artery supplies the lateral motor cortex, which controls the contralateral face and arm preferentially; the leg is supplied by the anterior cerebral artery.
See it in 3D: open the interactive brain and click any region, or ask the AI coach anything you missed.