HESI Health Assessment Practice Test 2025 – All-in-One Study Guide for Exam Success!

After a stroke, particularly if it results in right-sided weakness, it is common to observe hyperactive reflexes on the affected side. This phenomenon occurs due to the disruption of the normal balance between excitatory and inhibitory signals in the central nervous system following the brain injury.

In the case of a stroke, especially one that affects the cortical or upper motor neuron pathways, the inhibition from upper motor neurons to lower motor neurons can be lost or diminished. Consequently, lower motor neurons may experience an increase in excitatory input, leading to hyperactivity in reflexes. This is often observed as spasticity in the affected limb, where there is an exaggerated response to stimuli.

Diminished reflexes or a lack of reflexes are typically indicative of lower motor neuron lesions, which would not be expected in a case of acute stroke featuring upper motor neuron signs. Normal reflexes would also not align with the expected findings of hyperactive reflexes in this scenario. Therefore, the presence of right-sided weakness after a stroke suggests that there will be hyperactive reflexes on that side as a manifestation of the central nervous system's altered state following the injury.