LANGUAGE AND MOTOR FUNCTIONS ACTIVATE CALCIFIED HEMISPHERE IN PATIENTS WITH STURGE-WEBER-SYNDROME - A POSITRON-EMISSION-TOMOGRAPHY STUDY

This study examines whether or not in Sturge-Weber syndrome hypoperfus ed brain areas that are affected by calcification continue to retain s ome function and participate in language and motor activations. [O-15] -Water positron emission tomography (PET) was used for brain mapping o f these functions in two patients with extensive unilateral calcificat ion and hypoperfusion and in one patient with calcification and hypope rfusion restricted to the left posterior region. Task-related regional cerebral blood flow changes suggest that (1) hypoperfused areas may b ecome activated during language and motor performance, and (2) progres sive calcification in Sturge-Weber syndrome is associated with functio nal reorganization in the language and motor domains. Interhemispheric reorganization appears to be more pronounced for language than for mo tor functions.