Relationship between cognitive function and regional cerebral blood flow in stroke patients using 99mTc-ECD SPECT 3DSRT

The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations between regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and cognitive function in patients having a local stroke within the thalamus or putamen. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Kohs Block Design Test (KBDT) were used to evaluate cognitive function. Brain single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was performed with 99mTc-ethyl cysteinate dimer and analyzed with a 3-dimensional stereotactic region-of-interest template. Subjects were divided into subgroups according to the total MMSE score (D [Dementia: 23 points or less] and N [Normal: 24 points or more]) and according to KBDT scores (B [Bad: less than IQ 70] and G [Good: IQ 70 or more]). The rCBF was decreased in the MMSE D subgroup, especially in patients with a left putamen lesion, and in the KBDT B subgroup, especially in patients with a left thalamus lesion. When the lesion was in the right hemisphere, no significant difference in rCBF was found between the MMSE D and N subgroups or between the KBDT B and G subgroups. SPECT is useful for clinical evaluation of cerebral vascular disease, especially in patients with left hemispheric lesions. Additional data and further detailed evaluations are needed. (author)