Regional cerebral blood flow in chronic stroke patients.

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.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.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 ...