Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) Practice Exam

What is the main effect of a pure motor stroke on an individual's abilities?

1. Loss of sensation

2. Loss of motor control

3. Impairment of reflexes

4. Difficulty in coordination

The correct answer is: Loss of motor control

A pure motor stroke primarily affects an individual's ability to control movement due to damage in the areas of the brain responsible for motor functions, such as the motor cortex or the pathways leading from the brain to the muscles. This results in loss of voluntary motor control, typically observed as weakness or paralysis on one side of the body, often referred to as hemiparesis or hemiplegia. The other choices refer to various neurological deficits that can occur with different types of strokes or brain injuries. Loss of sensation is associated with strokes affecting sensory pathways, while impairment of reflexes and difficulty in coordination may result from broader neurological impairment or mixed types of strokes that affect both motor and sensory pathways or the cerebellum. In a pure motor stroke scenario, the predominant effect remains the loss of motor control, highlighting its distinctive clinical presentation.