Regional cerebral blood flow correlates of aphasia outcome in cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarction.

The relationship between recovery from aphasia and regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) was compared in 87 patients, 44 with cerebral hemorrhage and 43 with non-embolic cerebral infarction. CBF values correlated poorly with aphasia outcome in patients with cerebral hemorrhage whereas a tight correlation was demonstrated in patients with non-embolic cerebral infarction. A marked variability of CBF values in the acute and subacute stage might account for the poor correlation between CBF and aphasia outcome in patients with cerebral hemorrhage. On the other hand, a sharp discrimination was achieved between those with a good recovery from aphasia and those with a poor recovery by the dimensions of the hematoma on CT. In non-embolic cerebral infarction, a relative frontal ischemia was associated with motor aphasia while a relative temporal ischemia was associated with sensory aphasia. This dichotomy was not demonstrated in the regional CBF values in patients with cerebral hemorrhage.