To investigate neural correlates associated with recovery of motor function over 6 months in patients with basal ganglia (BG) stroke using acetazolamide (ACZ) stress brain-perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).
Medical records of 22 patients presenting first-ever BG stroke were retrospectively reviewed. Regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebrovascular reserve (CVR) were measured for 9 regions in each cerebral hemisphere (primary motor cortex, supplementary motor area, premotor cortex, prefrontal cortex, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, BG, and thalamus). The Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) motor score was used to assess motor function.
After ACZ injection, CBF of all regions of interest (ROIs) increased compared with baseline. Baseline CBF of all ROIs was not significantly correlated with changes in FMA upper or lower motor score. However, multivariate analysis revealed CVR was significantly associated with change in FMA upper score in the ipsilateral primary motor cortex (R2=0.216, p=0.017), the ipsilateral parietal lobe (R2=0.135, p=0.029), and the contralateral primary motor cortex (R2=0.210, p=0.041).
CVR in the bilateral primary motor cortex and ipsilateral parietal lobe was associated with restoration of upper motor function 6 months after BG stroke. SPECT is a readily available imaging modality useful in studying brain residual function in patients with BG stroke.
Citations
Method: Fourty-one patients with CP underwent MRI and SPECT of the brain. The patients were divided into 5 groups. Group 1 was for the cases with normal findings on MRI and SPECT, group 2 for abnormal on MRI but normal on SPECT, group 3 for normal on MRI but abnormal on SPECT, group 4 for abnormal findings on both MRI and SPECT with same abnormal lesion and group 5 for abnormal findings on both MRI and SPECT but with different abnormal lesion.
Results: In group 2, periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) and cortical atrophy were shown on MRI. In group 3, decreased blood flow at cerebellum was shown on SPECT. In group 4, brain atrophy on MRI and the decreased blood flow at the same site on SPECT were shown. In group 5, 15 of 22 cases with PVL on MRI and decreased blood flow at cerebellum, thalamus, basal ganglia and the cortical areas were shown.
Conclusion: Brain SPECT was more sensitive in the detection of cerebellum, thalamus and cortical blood flow abnormality. MRI was more sensitive in demonstration of white matter lesion. (J Korean Acad Rehab Med 2003; 27: 868-874)
Objective: To evaluate the clinical values of the DDST II (Denver Developmental Screening Test, 2nd revision), 99mTc HMPAO brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) findings and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the assessment of cerebral palsy children.
Method: Twenty-two children with cerebral palsy were investigated. Four profiles of DDST (II) were summated to a monthly age according to each developmental status. 99mTc HMPAO brain SPECT imagings were analyzed for the calculation of the perfusion defect indices. The clinical severities were scored as mild to severe, and were compared to a motor age of Maryland criteria. The presence of abnormal findings of brain MRI was also checked.
Results: (1) The gross and fine motor profiles of DDST (II) were significantly different between normal and abnormal findings of the brain SPECT in cerebral palsy children. (2) The region of interests ROIs in brain SPECT correlated with many profiles of DDST (II), 1) prefrontal area of the brain SPECT and language profile of DDST (II), 2) premotor area and gross motor/language profile, 3) thalamic area and social-personal profile, 4) basal ganglia area and gross motor/language proflie. respectively. (3) There was no relationship between each profile of DDST (II) and brain MRI findings.
Conclusion: The DDST (II) and Brain SPECT seemes to be more useful than the brain MRI for the functional assessment of cerebral palsy children.