Nursing Acceleration Challenge Exam (NACE) PN-RN Practice Test

A patient with a stroke affecting the left side of the brain is likely to exhibit which symptom?

1. Left-sided weakness

2. Impaired judgment

3. Short attention span

4. Impaired speech

The correct answer is: Impaired speech

When a stroke affects the left side of the brain, it is commonly associated with impairments in language and speech due to the location of critical language centers, such as Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area, which are typically found in the left hemisphere for right-handed individuals and many left-handed individuals as well. Patients may experience difficulties in speaking, understanding language, reading, or writing, a condition known as aphasia. This symptom aligns with the typical neurological consequences observed in patients who have suffered a left-sided stroke. The left hemisphere of the brain is primarily responsible for language processing, and when it is compromised, the result often includes various forms of speech impairment. The other options, while they may occur in stroke patients depending on individual circumstances, are not directly linked to left hemisphere damage in the same manner as speech impairment is. Weakness on the left side of the body, for instance, typically results from right hemisphere damage due to the crossover of motor functions.