Understanding personality changes after a stroke

You’re probably familiar with the noticeable physical effects after someone has a stroke. But personality and behavioral changes after stroke are common, too. It’s not surprising: A stroke is a significant medical event that disrupts blood flow to the brain — the seat of our emotions and behaviors.

These personality and behavioral changes can vary quite a bit from one person to the next, depending on which part of the brain the stroke affected.

A stroke on one side or portion of the brain will cause different problems than a stroke on the other side. For example, if a stroke caused damage to t...