hemiplegia

Hemiplegia is a condition in which half of a body is paralyzed. Hemiplegia is more severe than hemiparesis, wherein one half of the body is weakened but not paralysed.^[1]

Causes

Hemiplegia can be congenital or acquired, as from illness or stroke.

It is usually the result of a stroke, although disease processes affecting the spinal cord and other diseases affecting the hemispheres are equally capable of producing this clinical state. Hemiplegia can be a more serious consequence of stroke than spasticity.^[2]

Cerebral palsy can also affect one hemisphere, resulting in limited function. This does not cause paralysis but instead causes spasms. Cerebral palsy where this is the only symptom is often referred just as hemiplegia.

Other causes include Type 2 diabetes mellitus, which can lead to transient hemiplegia, a type of spinal injury called Brown-Sequard syndrome, medial medullary syndrome, and injections of local anaesthetic accidentally given intra-arterially instead of into a nerve branch. Lesions of the posterior limb of the internal capsule can also lead to hemiplegia.

it's a pyramidal tract lesion from the origin at the cerebral cortex down to 5th cervical segment of the spinal cord.

1-vascular:- stroke ((the most common cause))

2-infective:- encephalitis -meningitis - brain abscess

3-neoplastic:- glioma-meningioma

4-demylination:- DS disseminated sclerosis

5-traumatic:- cerebral lacerations

6-congenital:-cerebral palsy

7-hysterical:-absence of organic pyramidal lesion

Hemiplegic migraine

Hemiplegic migraine is a form of migraine during which the person will experience the feeling of numbness on one side of their body. This feeling will usually pass within 2-12 hours. Oliver Sacks writes on this subject in his book Migraine.

See also

• Alternating hemiplegia
• Laryngeal paralysis

References

1. ^ Hemiplegia/Hemiparesis
2. ^ Patten C, Lexell J, Brown HE. Weakness and strength training in persons with poststroke hemiplegia: Rationale, method, and efficacy. J Rehab Res Dev 2004;41:293-312. Fulltext. PMID 15543447.

External links

• CHASA Children's Hemiplegia and Stroke Association non-profit organization
• HemiHelp, a UK based childhood hemiplegia (cerebral palsy) charity
• AHC Kids Dutch website about Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood
• Spinal Cord Injury Peer Support
• Hemiplegia and associated problems
• Wrong Diagnosis.com General Hemiplegia Info, Tools & Discussion Boards

This medical sign article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e