Thalamic
Thalamic haemorrhages or thalamic haemorrhagic strokes are often the result of chronic hypertension. The thalamus transmits or prevents transmission of sensory signals from sensory areas of the cerebral cortex through internal capsule fibers and has a role in memory thus the clinical presentation reflects this
Clinical presentation
Depending on the thalamic nuclei involved, thalamic strokes can present with 2:
- downward gaze (paralysis of upward gaze)
- small pupils (lack of light pupillary response)
- depressed consciousness
- apathy
- hypersomnolence
- disorientation
- visual hallucinations
- aphasia
- impairment of verbal memory
- visuospatial dysfunction
Thalamic strokes can also present with behavioural patterns depending on the four main arterial thalamic territories:
