COMPARISON OF TC-99M HMPAO SPECT SCAN BETWEEN CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME, MAJOR DEPRESSION AND HEALTHY CONTROLS - AN EXPLORATORY-STUDY OF CLINICAL CORRELATES OF REGIONAL CEREBRAL BLOOD-FLOW

An explorative analysis of the relationship between symptomatology and cerebral blood flow in the chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) as assessed with Tc-99m HMPAO SPECT scan reveals statistically significant positi ve correlations between frontal blood flow on the one hand and objecti vely and subjectively assessed cognitive impairment, self-rating of ph ysical activity limitations and total score on Hamilton Depression Rat ing Scale on the other. A pathophysiological role of frontal blood flo w in the cognitive impairment and physical activity limitations in CFS is hypothesized. A comparison of cerebral blood flow between CFS, maj or depression (MD) and healthy controls (HC) has been performed. A low er superofrontal perfusion index is demonstrated in MD as compared wit h both CFS and HC. There is neither a global nor a marked regional hyp operfusion in CFS compared with HC. Asymmetry (R > L) of tracer uptake at parietotemporal level is demonstrated in CFS as compared with MD.