Damage to which arterial territory is associated with contralateral leg weakness and apraxia, with possible pseudobulbar signs when bilateral?

Prepare for the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) Exam with flashcards and multiple-choice questions. Each question includes insights and explanations to help you excel. Get ready for your certification journey!

Multiple Choice

Damage to which arterial territory is associated with contralateral leg weakness and apraxia, with possible pseudobulbar signs when bilateral?

The pattern described localizes to the medial frontal lobe supplied by the anterior cerebral artery. The leg motor cortex sits on the medial surface of the hemisphere (the paracentral lobule), so damage to this territory produces contralateral leg weakness. Involvement of the frontal regions can also disrupt motor planning and sequencing, leading to apraxia, particularly gait or complex movement apraxia. When these bilateral corticobulbar pathways are affected, pseudobulbar signs—such as emotional lability and dysarthria—can occur because the corticobulbar tracts run bilaterally. By contrast, the middle cerebral artery commonly causes contralateral face and arm weakness (and language impairment when in the dominant hemisphere) rather than leg-dominant weakness, while basilar or posterior cerebral artery infarcts produce brainstem signs or visual/sensory deficits, respectively. Thus, this constellation is most characteristic of anterior cerebral artery territory infarction.

The pattern described localizes to the medial frontal lobe supplied by the anterior cerebral artery. The leg motor cortex sits on the medial surface of the hemisphere (the paracentral lobule), so damage to this territory produces contralateral leg weakness. Involvement of the frontal regions can also disrupt motor planning and sequencing, leading to apraxia, particularly gait or complex movement apraxia. When these bilateral corticobulbar pathways are affected, pseudobulbar signs—such as emotional lability and dysarthria—can occur because the corticobulbar tracts run bilaterally. By contrast, the middle cerebral artery commonly causes contralateral face and arm weakness (and language impairment when in the dominant hemisphere) rather than leg-dominant weakness, while basilar or posterior cerebral artery infarcts produce brainstem signs or visual/sensory deficits, respectively. Thus, this constellation is most characteristic of anterior cerebral artery territory infarction.

More practice questions