Short latency somatosensory evoked potentials and 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT in a case of flunarizine-effective alternating hemiplegia in infancy.
Short latency somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) and 99mTc-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime single photon emission computed tomography (99mTc-HMPAO SPECT) were examined in a patient with alternating hemiplegia in infancy (AHI) before and after flunarizine treatment. The low amplitude and elongation of the latency time at the C'4 level of the interictal SSEPs before treatment were ameliorated by flunarizine administration. The cerebral hypoperfusion in the right hemisphere observed on 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT before treatment improved, as seen by normal and symmetrical imaging, after flunarizine treatment. These observations suggest that AHI is caused by a functional disturbance in the cerebral area contralateral to the hemiplegia, and that SSEPs and 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT are useful for evaluating functional disturbance in the contralateral motoneurons and the effect of flunarizine treatment in AHI patients.
Imamura
A
A
Department of Pediatrics, Gifu University School of Medicine, Japan.
Komori
Y
Y
Fukutomi
O
O
Shimozawa
N
N
Suzuki
Y
Y
Kondo
N
N
Orii
T
T
D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005444:Flunarizine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D010091:Oximes; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D010091:Oximes; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime; D005444:Flunarizine