The patient's account of his or her neurologic symptoms and the neurologic signs found on examination tell more about the location of the process in the brain than the particular stroke subtype. Nevertheless, the presence of some constellations of symptoms and signs occasionally suggests a specific process. As examples:
Weakness of the face, and leg on one side of the body unaccompanied by sensory, visual, or cognitive abnormalities (pure motor stroke) favours the presence of a thrombotic stroke
Large focal neurologic deficits that begin abruptly or progress quickly are characteristic of embolism or ICH.
Abnormalities of language suggest anterior circulation disease, as does the presence of motor and sensory signs on the same side of the body.
The sudden onset of impaired consciousness in the absence of focal neurologic signs is characteristic of SAH.
