Which best describes the signs of a cerebral hemispheric stroke?

• A. Only memory impairment.
• B. Only language impairment.
• C. Sensorimotor deficits related to the lesion near CNs and corticospinal tracts, plus hemisphere-specific deficits.
• D. Only sensory deficits.

Answer: (C)

A cerebral hemispheric stroke usually presents with two components: contralateral sensorimotor deficits from disruption of the corticospinal and somatosensory pathways as they pass through the hemisphere, and hemisphere-specific problems depending on which side is affected (for example, language impairment if the dominant left hemisphere is involved, or neglect and visuospatial deficits with the nondominant right hemisphere). Because these pathways cross to the opposite side, weakness and sensory loss appear on the opposite body. This combination—sensorimotor deficits plus hemisphere-specific cognitive or perceptual deficits—best describes the signs. Options that show only memory, only language, or only sensory symptoms don’t capture the full, typical pattern of a hemispheric stroke.