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Hemiplegia is a problem in which one - right or left - side of the body cannot be moved. Stroke is by far the most common cause, but various other pathologies - such as tumors of the central nervous system or neuroinfections - can also lead to it. What other causes of hemiplegia may be, and what is offered to patients who develop it - is there any chance that the patient will ever be able to move the structures that have become paralyzed again?

Hemiplegia ,hemiplegia(hemiplegia) is paralysis of the muscles of one half of the body - this problem appears either on the left, or on the right. Quite often, this term is confused with a similar, but slightly different condition - hemiparesis (hemiparesis), so it is worth explaining at the very beginning what the difference between these two problems is. Well, paralysis is said when there is a complete loss of the ability to move some muscles of the body, while paresis is diagnosed when motor activities can be undertaken by structures affected by the pathological process, but they are limited in some way.

Hemiplegia: causes

Hemiplegia may occur when some damage occurs within one of the structures controlling motor activities - the main cause of this problem is damage to the cortico-spinal tract.

By far the most common entity that can lead to hemiplegia is stroke - this type of movement disorder can develop in both ischemic stroke and intracranial haemorrhage. The truth is, however, that the cause of hemiplegia may be a stroke, but also many other diseases, such as:

  • subarachnoid hemorrhage
  • head injuries (e.g. those that result in an epidural or subdural hematoma)
  • diseases related to demyelination processes (e.g. multiple sclerosis)
  • neuroinfections (e.g. encephalitis, meningitis,spinal cord, brain abscess)
  • tumors of the central nervous system
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
  • cortico-basal degeneration

Taking into account the above, it can be concluded that hemiparalysis is an acquired disease. This is actually the case in the vast majority of cases, but it also happens that this problem is visible from the moment a person comes into the world - a unit in which such ailments can be encountered is, for example, cerebral palsy.

Hemiplegia: symptoms

Half paralysis is rather difficult to overlook - in its case it eventually comes to the fact that the patient is unable to move the muscles belonging to the part of the body affected by the paralysis. Most often, the problem is noticeable in the limbs (upper and lower), but it also happens that the muscles of one half of the face are also paralyzed. Additionally, patients may experience increased or decreased muscle tone.

Hemiplegia: diagnosis

Initially, a patient who goes to a doctor with hemiplegia is subjected to a neurological examination - it allows, first of all, to determine whether the patient has actually paralyzed, or maybe hemiparesis (patients sometimes confuse these two terms). This examination is also important because it allows for the suspicion of where exactly the damage to the central nervous system has occurred. This is because when the patient suffered from right-sided hemiplegia, the pathology takes place in the left part of the brain, and when the patient suffers from left-sided hemiplegia, it means that the dysfunction of the central nervous system has developed in the right regions of the brain.

The neurological examination can indeed confirm that the patient has suffered from hemiplegia, but it is certainly impossible to determine on its basis what is the cause of the problem, and therefore patients are ordered to perform other tests.

These are mainly head imaging examinations - computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Their performance is extremely important - because if a patient has had a stroke, delay in treatment worsens the patient's prognosis and in the event of hemiplegia, it is first of all necessary to exclude the fact that it is the stroke that is its cause. However, head imaging tests allow not only to confirm or exclude a stroke, but also to identify other pathologies that may be responsible for the development of paralysis in a patient - their results mayshow e.g. the existence of an intracranial tumor in the patient.

Hemiplegia: treatment

Carrying out a complete, accurate diagnosis in patients with hemiplegia is crucial because the primary treatment of this problem focuses on its cause.

In patients with ischemic stroke - if possible - thrombolytic treatment is implemented, and in those patients whose paralysis is a consequence of a brain tumor, therapy should focus on the treatment of the neoplastic disease.

And if the cause of hemiplegia is e.g. encephalitis or multiple sclerosis, then patients should be treated appropriately for these diseases.

It should be emphasized here that it is not always possible to use causal treatment in patients with hemiplegia - such a situation may occur, for example, in patients with stroke who come under the care of medical specialists too late. In such a case, the most important actions are to improve the quality of life of patients as much as possible. I am talking here primarily about regular rehabilitation. Not only can it lead to an increase in the patient's efficiency, but also to prevent the negative effects of hemiplegia, such as painful muscle contractions.

Hemiplegia: prognosis

It is impossible to say unequivocally what is the prognosis of patients with hemispheric paralysis. Whether a person still regains fitness depends in this case largely on the exact causes of the problem.

The greatest difficulties may be experienced, for example, by those patients who have suffered a major stroke - in such people there is a risk that their paralysis will continue for the rest of their lives. On the other hand, the prognosis of those patients whose hemiplegia was caused by a fully curable disease, such as a brain abscess, is much better - in them healing the abscess may lead to complete paralysis resolution.

The hemiplegia itself does not shorten the life of patients, but its possible consequences may result in premature death of patients. People who are immobilized are unfortunately burdened with, inter alia, increased risk of thromboembolic events or the appearance of pressure ulcers on their body.

It is precisely because of the above-mentioned and other threats that the proper care and rehabilitation of those patients who develop hemiplegia is so important.

About the authorBow. Tomasz NęckiA graduate of the medical faculty atMedical University of Poznań. An admirer of the Polish sea (most willingly strolling along its shores with headphones in his ears), cats and books. In working with patients, he focuses on always listening to them and spending as much time as they need.

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Neurology