[Anoxic encephalopathy. Clinical description, prognosis and neuroimaging].
OBJECTIVE
To describe the clinical profile (neuropsychological, psychopathological, functional and neuroimaging), as well as the evolution of patients with anoxic encephalopathy.


METHODS
Nine patients with anoxic encephalopathy attending our Service were included in the study. All patients were assessed with a broad range of neuropsychological tests, checklists of psychopathological symptoms, and several functional scales. A CT/MRI or a positron emission tomography (PET) were performed in five patients. Five patients were admitted to a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program.


RESULTS
All patients showed problems in orientation, executive functions, verbal learning an immediate and long-term verbal memory, in association with diffuse cognitive changes in other functions. Psychopathologically, all patients showed apathy-indifference, and eight subjects showed anosognosia. All subjects have an important dependence in daily activities. CT/MRI were normal or showed subcortical changes whereas the PET showed a predominantly cortical hypometabolism with specific patterns. There were no significant improvements after rehabilitation in treated patients.


CONCLUSIONS
In the absence of a unique clinical profile, our patients with anoxic encephalopathy showed similarities in their symptoms (diffuse cognitive deficits with predominance of amnesic and executive impairments; presence of apathy and anosognosia; complete functional dependence; and poor response to the rehabilitation). Functional neuroimaging could be a useful tool for a better understanding of these encephalopathies.
Simó-Guerrero
M
M
Servicio de Daño Cerebral, Hospital NISA Valencia al Mar, Valencia, España.
Chirivella-Garrido
J
J
Ferri-Campos
J
J
Ramírez
R M
RM
Caballero
M C
MC
Noé-Sebastián
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002534:Hypoxia, Brain / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011379:Prognosis