When a person suffers a stroke, the brain is affected differently depending on the areas most heavily damaged by the blood loss.
As stroke is characteristically defined by a loss or stoppage of blood to the brain, whether by a brain hemorrhage or a blood clot.
This then causes brain cells to die due to receiving insufficient blood, which in turn shuts down necessary brain functioning in affected areas.
The commonly cited lack of motor control over an arm or portion of the face, both symptoms being basic indicators of a stroke, is often due to damage done to the central nervous system pathways.
These nerve tracts govern the body's ability to send motor information from the brain to the body.
This leads to hemiplegia, or the loss of motor control over half of the body, as well as numbness.
The nerves within the brain stem may also be affected by a stroke, causing problems with information transmission within the brain to the rest of the body.
Unlike the effects associated with damaged central nervous system pathways, a compromised brain stem causes a loss of feeling in the face and sensory capabilities.
Sufferers may also notice a loss of balance.
If the cerebral cortex is damaged in a stroke, the symptoms may result in cognitive losses that affect motor capabilities less so than problems with thought and comprehension.
In particular, for those who lose functionality in the cerebral cortex, the result can be a loss of language skills or memory.
This can include language disorders that affect the ability to produce or comprehend language, generally known as aphasia.
Finally, the cerebellum may be affected in a stroke.
Brain damage in this area generally affects a person's ability to walk and stay coordinated.
For more information regarding how a stroke can be caused by negligence, contact a personal injury attorney.