Hemiplegia
Pronunciation: heh-mee-PLEE-jee-uh
Complete paralysis of one side of the body, typically resulting from a stroke, traumatic brain injury, or other unilateral upper motor neuron lesion.
Full Definition
Hemiplegia describes the complete loss of voluntary motor function on one side of the body, affecting both the arm and leg ipsilateral or contralateral to a cerebral lesion depending on lesion site. In physical medicine and rehabilitation, it is a central diagnostic descriptor that drives rehabilitation program design, including gait retraining, upper-limb therapy, and positioning protocols. Editors must differentiate it from hemiparesis, which denotes weakness rather than complete paralysis, and from diplegia or quadriplegia, which imply different distributions. The term appears frequently in stroke rehabilitation notes, neurological examination findings, and functional outcome measures.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish carefully from hemiparesis (partial weakness) in all clinical and editorial contexts.
In Context
- "Following the ischaemic stroke, the patient presented with dense left hemiplegia and was admitted for inpatient rehabilitation." — Admission physiatric note
- "Editors should not substitute hemiparesis for hemiplegia without clinical confirmation, as the two terms carry distinct functional implications." — Editorial style guide