title: Executive dysfunction is related with decreased frontal lobe blood flow in patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study evaluated executive dysfunction in patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) using the Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome (BADS) and correlated the occurrence of executive dysfunction with cerebral blood flow (CBF) reduction in the frontal lobe as assessed by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Correlational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two patients who underwent microsurgical clipping at least 3 months after SAH.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study evaluated the BADS and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III (WAIS-III). In addition, it assessed activities of daily living (ADL). CBF was evaluated using SPECT. The patients were divided into the following groups according to the results of SPECT: (1) those with reduced CBF in the frontal lobe (reduced CBF group, n = 8) and (2) those with intact CBF (intact CBF group, n = 14).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The BADS score was significantly lower in the reduced CBF group compared with that of the intact CBF group, while there was no significant difference in the WAIS-III scores and ADL scale between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although this result was conducted with a small sample size, executive dysfunction correlates with reduced CBF in the frontal lobes of SAH patients. A detailed evaluation of executive function is suggested in SAH patients, even if the patient's intelligence test and ADL scale reveal no abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine .
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uchikawa
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inaba
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kagami
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ichimura
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsuji
authors.forename: Yohei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Otaka
authors.forename: Meigen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008866:Microsurgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000523:psychology*; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014888:Wechsler Scales