title: HM-PAO-SPECT in persistent vegetative state after head injury: prognostic indicator of the likelihood of recovery?
abstract: Management of patients presenting with traumatic persistent vegetative state (PVS) calls for extensive resources. The ability to predict whether or not a patient is likely to recover is a critical issue. In 12 patients with PVS admitted consecutively for early rehabilitation after head injury, pattern of brain activity was measured by 99mTc-hexamethyl-propylenamineoxime (99mTc-HM-PAO) brain SPECT (single photon emission computer tomography). All patients were re-investigated after a mean observation period of 3 years. A global reduction of cortical blood flow was a reliable predictor of poor long-term outcome, but the demonstration of only focal deficits did not reliably indicate a favourable outcome. Brain SPECT may help to improve outcome prediction in patients with traumatic PVS.
authors.affiliation: Neurological Clinic, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Oder
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Goldenberg
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Podreka
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Deecke
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003128:Coma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D010091:Oximes; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*
chemical_list: D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D010091:Oximes; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime