Some problems that happen after stroke are more common with stroke on one side of the brain than the other. In most people, the left side of the brain controls the ability to speak and understand language. The right side of the brain controls the ability to pay attention, recognize things you see, hear or touch, and be aware of your own body.

In some left-handed people, language is controlled by the right side of the brain and awareness by the left side of the brain.

The following information is for the most common situation of language control on the right side of the brain.

Agnosia

You may not be able to recognize objects, faces, voices or places.

Anomia

You may not recall the names of everyday objects.

Attention span

You may be unable to focus attention on a conversation or tasks for long periods of time.

Denial

You may deny that you had a stroke. Some people even deny that their paralyzed arm or leg belongs to them. They look at the paralyzed arm or leg and believe it belongs to someone else.

Neglect

You may ignore the left side of your body or your environment. This means you may not turn to look toward your left side or you may not recognize things that are on your left.

Perseveration (the repetition of a particular response)

You may have difficulty following instructions or answering many questions asked one right after the other. You may repeat answers or movement even though a new instruction was given or a new question asked.

Visual/spatial problems

You may have problems judging distance, size, position and rate of movement and how parts relate to a whole.