Regional arm-brain mean transit time in the diagnostic evaluation of patients with cerebral vascular disease.

By analyzing time-activity curves over selected brain regions, following intravenous administration of non-diffusible radionuclide, it is possible to assess regional arm-brain mean transit time (rABmtT). By evaluating this parameter in normal subjects a relatively small range of differences between asymmetrical regions can be found (0.30 +/- 0.14 sec, mean +/- SD). An increase of this difference above statistical limits was found in 82% of patients with acute complete stroke, in 56% of patients with chronic complete stroke in 21% of patients with transient ischemic attacks.