REGIONAL CEREBRAL BLOOD-FLOW AND CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID GLUTAMATE IN LEUKOARAIOSIS

Cerebral blood flow and cerebrospinal fluid amino acids were investiga ted in patients with leukoaraiosis on magnetic resonance imaging. Ten patients with leukoaraiosis and without significant cerebral infarctio n and ten age-matched controls without abnormality on magnetic resonan ce imaging were studied. The regional cerebral blood flow was measured using the stable xenon computed tomography method. The blood flow was significantly lower in the leukoaraiosis area in the leukoaraiosis gr oup than in the same area in the control group. The cerebrospinal flui d glutamate concentration was significantly higher in the leukoaraiosi s group than in the control group. There was a significant negative co rrelation between the blood flow in the leukoaraiosis area and the cer ebrospinal fluid glutamate concentration. The high concentration of ce rebrospinal fluid glutamate in patients with leukoaraiosis is consider ed to be related to ischaemia.