Question

10. What parts of brain are supplied by the middle cerebral artery? In case of obstruction of blood flow through left middle cerebral artery what major symptoms can be expected?

Answer 1

Middle cerebral artery is a branch of internal carotid artery.

Areas supplied-

Most of the lateral surface of cerebral hemisphere except a small part of superior surface of frontal and parietal lobes, and a small portion of inferior surface of temporal lobe and occipital lobe.

It supplies some of the important areas like Broca's motor speech area and Wernicke's sensory speech area, primary motor area etc.

It supplies anterior limb, genu and posterior limb of internal capsule.

Lenticulostriate branches of middle cerebral artery supply basal ganglia.

Symptoms of occlusion of middle cerebral artery.

Contralateral paralysis of face and arm.( It supplies primary motor area)

Sensory loss of face and arm( as it supplies sensory area of face, throat,arm and hand)

Aphasia if occlusion is of dominant hemisphere which is usually left ( as it supplies speech areas)

Contralateral homonymous hemianopia ( due to damage to optic radiation)