ETS Domain: Assessment

Praxis 5331 Right Hemisphere Disorder Questions

Right hemisphere disorder (RHD) items on the Praxis 5331 test whether you can distinguish RHD from aphasia. ETS often gives you a right-CVA scenario and expects you to identify pragmatics, prosody, neglect, or attention deficits rather than classic aphasia patterns.

Why this topic matters

RHD is regularly confused with aphasia — the Praxis exploits this discrimination.
Left neglect is one of the most testable single findings.
Prosodic and pragmatic deficits require specialized assessment tools most students haven't practiced.

High-yield concepts

Right-CVA does NOT typically cause classic aphasia — it causes pragmatics, attention, and perceptual deficits.
Left neglect: patient ignores left side of space and body; may not eat food on left side of plate.
Aprosodia: flat or inappropriate prosody, difficulty perceiving others' prosody.
Pragmatic deficits: tangential speech, poor topic maintenance, difficulty with sarcasm/humor/nonliteral language.
Anosognosia: reduced awareness of the deficit — impacts therapy engagement.

Sample practice questions

Try answering before revealing the rationale — mark misses to retry later.

Q1.A 68-year-old with a right MCA stroke is fluent, uses correct grammar, and comprehends single sentences, but delivers a rambling narrative and misses jokes. The most likely diagnosis is:

A.Broca's aphasia
B.Right hemisphere disorder with pragmatic and discourse deficits
C.Wernicke's aphasia
D.Global aphasia

Show answer & rationale

Correct: B. Right-CVAs typically spare classic language and instead produce pragmatic, discourse, and prosodic deficits. Rambling narrative and difficulty with humor are hallmark RHD features.

Q2.Which assessment technique best identifies LEFT visual neglect?

A.Line bisection and cancellation tasks
B.Boston Naming Test
C.Token Test
D.Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test

Show answer & rationale

Correct: A. Line bisection and cancellation tasks are classic bedside assessments for left neglect. Naming and vocabulary tests target language, not spatial attention.

Q3.Anosognosia in RHD means the patient:

A.Cannot swallow
B.Is unaware of their deficits, which can limit therapy engagement
C.Has global aphasia
D.Refuses all therapy for personality reasons

Show answer & rationale

Correct: B. Anosognosia is reduced awareness of the deficit. It's neurological, not psychological, and often requires structured feedback and safety planning in therapy.

Common wrong-answer traps

Diagnosing 'aphasia' after every stroke, even right-CVA.
Missing left neglect because the patient's language sounds intact.
Confusing anosognosia with 'denial' or noncompliance.

Study moves this week

Chart RHD vs left-hemisphere aphasia differences across five domains.
Memorize three bedside neglect screening tasks.
Draft a caregiver-education blurb about anosognosia in plain language.

Want 400+ scenario questions with rationales?

Praxis Path unlocks a full question bank + 132-question timed mock exam and spaced-repetition flashcards.

See what's included Try free practice test

FAQ

Do RHD patients ever have aphasia?

Left-handed people can have crossed aphasia after right-CVAs, but this is uncommon. Most RHD patients present with pragmatic, prosodic, and attentional deficits.

Can SLPs treat neglect?

SLPs can screen for neglect and address its functional impact (e.g., safety awareness, reading), often collaborating with OT for full remediation.

Is RHD recovery similar to aphasia recovery?

Trajectories differ; RHD deficits often improve but anosognosia can slow rehab. Family training is essential.

Praxis 5331 Right Hemisphere Disorder Questions

Why this topic matters

High-yield concepts

Sample practice questions

Common wrong-answer traps

Study moves this week

Want 400+ scenario questions with rationales?

FAQ

Related topic question sets