18FDG-PET/CT in traumatic brain injury patients: the relative hypermetabolism of vermis cerebelli as a medium and long term predictor of outcome.

Purpose: Both, the constant presence of apparent hypermetabolism of the vermis cerebelli compared to the cerebellar hemispheres in traumatic brain injury, and the presence of a good relationship between the intensity of this sign and the severity of the clinical conditions have been addressed in previous studies. Aim of the present paper is to evaluate the possible correlation between the intensity of the finding and the medium and long term outcome in a group of patients.

Materials And Methods: A group of 105 patients consecutively admitted to the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Center of our Hospital between 2005 and 2012 was studied with a 18FDG-PET/CT study of the brain after head trauma; the metabolic activity of the cerebellar vermis was semiquantitatively assessed (vermis/cerebellum ratio, V/C).

Relative hypermetabolism of vermis cerebelli in traumatic brain injured patients studied with 18FDG PET: a descriptor of brain damage and a possible predictor of outcome.

Purpose: The almost constant presence of apparent metabolic hypermetabolism of cerebellar vermis seen on 18FDG PET in a population of injured brains has been reported in a previous paper. Aim of this paper is to determine a) whether there is a correlation between the entity of this sign, semi quantitatively determined, and the severity of the trauma at its onset, and b) whether the entity of the relative enhancement correlates with the medium and long term clinical outcome.

Methods: A group of 45 consecutive patients admitted to the Acquired Brain Injury Unit of our Hospital for recent, major head trauma, underwent a basal 18FDG PET/CT scan of the brain; the presence of relative hypermetabolism of the vermis cerebelli was visually assessed and semi quantitatively determined (vermis/cerebellum ratio: V/C); the median V/C value was used as a divide between low V/C ratios (group A) and high V/C ratios (group B).

Active finger extension: a simple movement predicting recovery of arm function in patients with acute stroke.

Background And Purpose: Early prognosis of arm recovery is a major clinical issue in stroke. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of 4 simple bedside tests.

Methods: Forty-eight patients with arm paresis/plegia were evaluated on days 7, 14, 30, 90 and 180 after stroke.