Correlation between the clinical picture, the EEG and cerebral blood flow after partial occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in man.

Quantitative measurements of global and regional cerebral blood flow were performed in 18 patients 1 to 3 days after the onset of symptoms of acute cerebral ischemia due to partial occlusion of the middle cerebral artery and were repeated 21 days thereafter. The first rCBF measurement revealed either an extensive ischemic focus or an ischemic focus with simultaneous reduction of the global blood flow within the corresponding hemisphere in all patients. The later measurements indicated no change in blood flow in the ischemic focus in any case, but there was a slight increase of global cerebral blood flow in 1/3 of the cases. The measurements of cerebral blood flow were correlated with the neurological, psychopathological and EEG findings and in spite of an unaltered cerebral blood circulation, all patients showed a distinct clinical imrovement. Various hypotheses for the return of neurological functions in patients with persistent cerebral ischemia are discussed.