Changes in regional cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism following ventrolateral thalamotomy in Parkinson syndrome as revealed by positron emission tomography.
A case with unilateral symptoms of Parkinson syndrome is presented in which interesting changes in the topographic patterns of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen (CMRO2) were observed by positron emission tomography. This case was associated with severe tremor at rest exclusively in the left extremities. The parietal CBF and CMRO2 for the affected hemisphere were apparently lower than those for the nonaffected hemisphere preoperatively. After thalamotomy involving the right nucleus ventralis lateralis, including the ventralis intermedius, concomitant with complete disappearance of the tremor, the parietal CBF and CMRO2 for the affected side increased and even exceeded those for the nonaffected side.
D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013788:Thalamus / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed