What is flaccid hemiparesis?

Answer 1

Flaccid hemiparesis means that there is no movement or muscle flickers in one side of the body. This is usually the first stage of hemiparesis following a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or neurological accident. Unfortunately there is no guarantee that the person with this condition will improve. It usually takes between 6-12 months post CVA/ injury to understand the long term prognosis for this person, however saying this, if the person has good recovery in the first 3-6 months this is a good sign.

Hemiplegia is also another commonly used term - this is where there is no movement at all in the affected side.

Check out this website and the following info gathered there on one theory of CVA

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?indexed=Google&rid=physmedrehab.section.726

Brunnstrom (1966, 1970) and Sawner (1992) also described the process of recovery following stroke-induced hemiplegia. The process was divided into a number of stages: # Flaccidity (immediately after the onset)

No "voluntary" movements on the affected side can be initiated # Spasticity appears

Basic synergy patterns appear

Minimal voluntary movements may be present # Patient gains voluntary control over synergies

Increase in spasticity # Some movement patterns out of synergy are mastered (synergy patterns still predominate)

Decrease in spasticity # If progress continues, more complex movement combinations are learned as the basic synergies lose their dominance over motor acts

Further decrease in spasticity # Disappearance of spasticity

Individual joint movements become possible and coordination approaches normal # Normal function is restored (It must be remembered that although 7 stages mentioned - not all people progress from stage to stage - some may only get to stage 1 or others to stage 3 etc and their recovery may plateau)

Answer 2

Contralateral hemiparesis is weakness on one side of the body, caused by an injury to the other side of the brain. Since each hemisphere of the brain controls the opposite side of the body, an injury to the left hemisphere may cause problems on the right side of the body and vice versa.

Answer 3

The thing that could cause hemiparesis to appear is problem in the brain or spinal cord. Symptoms of hemiparesis include, stroke, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy or migraine. Hemiparesis is a medical condition that makes one side of the body to be weak.

Answer 4

weakness on 1 side of the body