Hemiplegia describes which condition?

• A. Paralysis of both legs
• B. Loss of sensation on the face
• C. Paralysis of one side of the body
• D. Muscle weakness on one side

Answer: (C)

Hemiplegia is paralysis on one side of the body. The term combines hemi- (half) with -plegia (paralysis), so it specifically means there is no voluntary movement on either the arm, leg, or trunk on that one side. This differs from weakness without full paralysis (hemiparesis) and from paralysis of both legs (paraplegia) or other forms of sensory loss.

Often the paralysis results from a brain event, such as a stroke, that disrupts the motor pathways in the brain or along the corticospinal tract, typically affecting the opposite side of the body from the brain lesion.