Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (CRRN) Practice Exam

A patient with a right hemisphere CVA generally experiences a DECREASE in which ability?

1. Emotional sensitivity

2. Processing of directional information

3. Verbal communication

4. Spatial awareness

The correct answer is: Processing of directional information

The decrease in the ability to process directional information is linked to the right hemisphere's role in spatial awareness and navigation. The right hemisphere is primarily responsible for visuospatial processing, which includes understanding and responding to directional cues in the environment. A patient who has experienced a right hemisphere cerebrovascular accident (CVA) often struggles with these spatial orientation tasks, leading to difficulties in perceiving and interpreting directional information such as estimating distances, navigating spaces, and recognizing patterns in the environment. While other abilities, such as emotional sensitivity and spatial awareness, may also be affected in various ways following a right hemisphere CVA, the process of interpreting directional information is particularly impaired. This is because the right hemisphere specializes in non-verbal and visual-spatial aspects of cognition. In contrast, verbal communication primarily relies on the left hemisphere, making it less likely to be directly impacted in a right hemisphere stroke.