title: Post-stroke apathy and hypoperfusion in basal ganglia: SPECT study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although apathy has been reported as one of the neuropsychiatric symptoms following stroke, there are few studies on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in stroke patients with apathy. The present study compared rCBF between apathetic and non-apathetic patients after stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 102 patients with cerebral infarction within 1 month after stroke and performed neuropsychiatric assessments that included the apathy scale. rCBF was quantitatively measured using N-isopropyl-p-(123)I-iodoamphetamine single-photon emission computed tomography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-seven patients (36%) had apathy. The apathetic group showed lower cognitive function and a higher depressive state than the non-apathetic group. rCBF in the basal ganglia was reduced for the apathetic group compared with the non-apathetic group. Furthermore, lesions in the left basal ganglia were associated with hypoperfusion in bilateral basal ganglia and the presence of apathy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings demonstrate that apathy is a frequent symptom among stroke patients and that hypoperfusion caused by basal ganglia lesions may contribute to post-stroke apathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, 89-1 Enya-cho, Izumo, Shimane, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Onoda
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oguro
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bokura
authors.forename: Shuhei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D057565:Apathy; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000098:blood supply*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003071:Cognition; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020367:Iofetamine; D007564:Japan; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D055420:Perfusion Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D020367:Iofetamine