What is a common symptom of an anterior cerebral artery stroke?

An anterior cerebral artery stroke often leads to contralateral hemiparesis that predominantly affects the lower extremities. This is due to the territory served by the anterior cerebral artery, which is primarily responsible for providing blood supply to the medial aspect of the frontal and parietal lobes. Within this region, the representation of the leg and foot is situated in the upper part of the motor cortex, making functional impairment in the lower extremities more pronounced.

Patients experiencing this type of stroke typically demonstrate weakness or paralysis on one side of the body (contralateral), which affects the leg more than the arm due to the specific areas of the motor cortex that are impacted. Thus, when assessing for symptoms, contralateral hemiparesis that is more evident in the lower limbs stands out as a hallmark sign of an anterior cerebral artery ischemic event.

In contrast, other symptoms and conditions mentioned in the other choices do not correlate directly with the specific vascular territory affected by an anterior cerebral artery stroke, thereby affirming that the most accurate and characteristic symptom of this type of stroke is indeed contralateral hemiparesis in the lower extremity.