Effect of local mild hypothermia on regional cerebral blood flow in patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage assessed by 99mTc-ECD SPECT imaging.

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to observe the effect of local mild hypothermia on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) after acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and to evaluate its relation to clinical outcome in patients with ICH. METHODS 36 CT proven ICH patients with Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score of 5 or more were randomly assigned to 2 group: local mild hypothermia with conventional mannitol (Group A) or conventional mannitol (Group B). SPECT study was performed at day 7 after therapy. The SPECT images were semi-quantitatively analyzed, and the radioactivity ratios of lesion to normal tissue (L/NT) were calculated. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) were used in evaluation at days 14 and 21 after therapy. RESULTS There were significant differences in NIHSS score at days 14 and 21, and the L/NT ratios between the groups A and B (P < 0.05). Based on GCS, more patients in the group A showed favorable outcomes than patients in the group B (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the L/NT ratios significantly increased in patients with favorable outcomes compared to poor outcomes. Changes in NIHSS score at days 14 and 21 were closely negatively correlated with the L/NT ratios in the groups A and B (r= -0.58, -0.61, and -0.52, -0.75, respectively, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Local mild hypothermia could significantly increase rCBF and improve clinical outcome in ICH patients as evaluated by ^{99m}Tc-ECD SPECT study.