This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Rodriguez, G. Articles by Rosadini, G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Rodriguez, G. Articles by Rosadini, G.

Stroke, Vol 24, 94-99, Copyright © 1993 by American Heart Association

ARTICLES

Regional cerebral blood flow in chronic stroke patients

G Rodriguez, F Nobili, F De Carli, S Francione, S Marenco, MA Celestino, K Hassan and G Rosadini
Department of Motor Science-Neurophysiopathology, University of Genoa, Italy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate regional cerebral blood flow parameters during the postacute phase of unilateral ischemic stroke and to correlate them with clinical data. METHODS: Regional cerebral blood flow was measured in 187 patients in the stabilized phase of stroke by the xenon-133 inhalation method with 32 extracranial detectors. Thirty-eight patients were reexamined after a mean +/- SD time of 32 +/- 21.4 months. RESULTS: The overall detection of hypoperfusion was 92.0%, with asymmetries as the most sensitive index, especially for patients with a lesser degree of neurological disability. Neurological disability score was strongly associated with regional cerebral blood flow in the affected hemisphere (p < 0.0001) and with asymmetries (p < 0.0001). The presence of carotid obstruction further decreased the regional cerebral blood flow in the affected hemisphere and significantly increased asymmetry (p < 0.0001). Subjects who had no hypoperfusion at absolute values analysis were more frequently free of carotid disease and had less severe disability than those who had bilateral or unilateral regional absolute cerebral blood flow reduction. In 38 patients without new cerebrovascular events, a significant (p = 0.005) reduction of hemispheric regional cerebral blood flow asymmetries was found on a follow-up examination. CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm the value of regional cerebral blood flow asymmetries in stroke detection and point out that important clinical information is also contained in absolute values analysis.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. Zhao, D. C. Alsop, A. AbdulJalil, M. Selim, L. Lipsitz, P. Novak, L. Caplan, K. Hu, and V. Novak Vasoreactivity and peri-infarct hyperintensities in stroke Neurology, February 17, 2009; 72(7): 643 - 649. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. Novak, A. Chowdhary, B. Farrar, H. Nagaraja, J. Braun, R. Kanard, P. Novak, and A. Slivka Altered cerebral vasoregulation in hypertension and stroke Neurology, May 27, 2003; 60(10): 1657 - 1663. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]