Anterior cerebral artery syndrome
Encyclopedia
Anterior cerebral artery syndrome is a condition whereby the blood supply from the anterior cerebral artery ACA is restricted, leading to a reduction of the function of the portions of the brain
supplied by that vessel: the medial aspects of the frontal and parietal lobes, basal ganglia
, anterior fornix
and anterior corpus callosum
[O'Sullivan, 2007].
Depending upon the area and severity of the occlusion, signs and symptoms may vary within the population affected with ACA syndrome. Blockages to the proximal portion of the vessel produce only minor deficits due to the collateral blood flow from the opposite hemisphere via the anterior communicating artery
. More distal occlusions will result in more severe presentation of ACA syndrome. Contralateral hemiparesis
and hemisensory loss of the lower extremity is the most common symptom associated with ACA syndrome.
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
supplied by that vessel: the medial aspects of the frontal and parietal lobes, basal ganglia
Basal ganglia
The basal ganglia are a group of nuclei of varied origin in the brains of vertebrates that act as a cohesive functional unit. They are situated at the base of the forebrain and are strongly connected with the cerebral cortex, thalamus and other brain areas...
, anterior fornix
Fornix
The fornix is a C-shaped bundle of fibers in the brain, and carries signals from the hippocampus to the hypothalamus.-Structure:...
and anterior corpus callosum
Corpus callosum
The corpus callosum , also known as the colossal commissure, is a wide, flat bundle of neural fibers beneath the cortex in the eutherian brain at the longitudinal fissure. It connects the left and right cerebral hemispheres and facilitates interhemispheric communication...
[O'Sullivan, 2007].
Depending upon the area and severity of the occlusion, signs and symptoms may vary within the population affected with ACA syndrome. Blockages to the proximal portion of the vessel produce only minor deficits due to the collateral blood flow from the opposite hemisphere via the anterior communicating artery
Anterior communicating artery
In human anatomy, the anterior communicating artery is a blood vessel of the brain that connects the left and right anterior cerebral arteries....
. More distal occlusions will result in more severe presentation of ACA syndrome. Contralateral hemiparesis
Hemiparesis
Hemiparesis is weakness on one side of the body. It is less severe than hemiplegia - the total paralysis of the arm, leg, and trunk on one side of the body. Thus, the patient can move the impaired side of his body, but with reduced muscular strength....
and hemisensory loss of the lower extremity is the most common symptom associated with ACA syndrome.
Signs and Symptoms
- HemiparesisHemiparesisHemiparesis is weakness on one side of the body. It is less severe than hemiplegia - the total paralysis of the arm, leg, and trunk on one side of the body. Thus, the patient can move the impaired side of his body, but with reduced muscular strength....
or hemiplegiaHemiplegiaHemiplegia /he.mə.pliː.dʒiə/ is total paralysis of the arm, leg, and trunk on the same side of the body. Hemiplegia is more severe than hemiparesis, wherein one half of the body has less marked weakness....
contralaterally, involving primarily the lower limbs and pelvic floorPelvic floorThe pelvic floor or pelvic diaphragm is composed of muscle fibers of the levator ani, the coccygeus, and associated connective tissue which span the area underneath the pelvis. The pelvic diaphragm is a muscular partition formed by the levatores ani and coccygei, with which may be included the...
musculature - Sensory deficits contralaterally, involving primarily the leg and perineum
- ApraxiaApraxiaApraxia is a disorder caused by damage to specific areas of the cerebrum. Apraxia is characterized by loss of the ability to execute or carry out learned purposeful movements, despite having the desire and the physical ability to perform the movements...
(due to branches to the supplementary motor areaSupplementary motor areaThe supplementary motor area is a part of the sensorimotor cerebral cortex . It was included, on purely cytoarchitectonic arguments, in area 6 of Brodmann and the Vogts...
and corpus callosumCorpus callosumThe corpus callosum , also known as the colossal commissure, is a wide, flat bundle of neural fibers beneath the cortex in the eutherian brain at the longitudinal fissure. It connects the left and right cerebral hemispheres and facilitates interhemispheric communication...
) - Disconnection syndrome (due to callosal branches)
- AnosmiaAnosmiaAnosmia is a lack of functioning olfaction, or in other words, an inability to perceive odors. Anosmia may be either temporary or permanent. A related term, hyposmia, refers to a decreased ability to smell, while hyperosmia refers to an increased ability to smell. Some people may be anosmic for one...
(due to branches of the olfactory bulb and olfactory tract) - Urinary incontinenceIncontinenceIncontinence or Incontinent may refer to:*Fecal incontinence, the inability to control one's bowels*Incontinence *Incontinent , a 1981 album by Fad Gadget*Urinary incontinence, the involuntary excretion of urine...
. - Grasp reflex and or sucking reflex contralaterally (if circle of WillisCircle of WillisThe Circle of Willis is a circle of arteries that supply blood to the brain...
compromised).