Temporal Changes in Brain Perfusion in a Patient with Myoclonus and Ataxia Syndrome Associated with COVID-19

Kenta Osawa; Atsuhiko Sugiyama; Akiyuki Uzawa; Shigeki Hirano; Tatsuya Yamamoto; Masahiko Nezu; Nobuyuki Araki; Hiroki Kano; Satoshi Kuwabara

doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.9171-21

CASE REPORTS

Temporal Changes in Brain Perfusion in a Patient with Myoclonus and Ataxia Syndrome Associated with COVID-19

Kenta Osawa, Atsuhiko Sugiyama, Akiyuki Uzawa, Shigeki Hirano, Tatsuya Yamamoto, Masahiko Nezu, Nobuyuki Araki, Hiroki Kano, Satoshi Kuwabara

Author information

Kenta Osawa
Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan
Atsuhiko Sugiyama
Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan
Akiyuki Uzawa
Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan
Shigeki Hirano
Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan
Tatsuya Yamamoto
Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan
Department of Rehabilitation, Division of Occupational Therapy, Chiba Prefectural University of Health Sciences, Japan
Masahiko Nezu
Department of Kampo Medicine, Chiba University Hospital, Japan
Nobuyuki Araki
Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan
Hiroki Kano
Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan
Satoshi Kuwabara
Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan

Keywords: myoclonus, ataxia, brain perfusion, COVID-19, Kampo

JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS

2022 Volume 61 Issue 7 Pages 1071-1076

DOI https://doi.org/10.2169/internalmedicine.9171-21

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Abstract

Myoclonus and ataxia, with or without opsoclonus, have recently been recognized as a central nervous system syndrome associated with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). A 52-year-old Japanese man developed myoclonus and ataxia 16 days after the onset of COVID-19. Brain single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) revealed hyperperfusion in the cerebellum and hypoperfusion in the cerebral cortices with frontal predominance during the acute stage, which improved over two months. This study indicates that brain perfusion SPECT can be effective in detecting functional alterations in COVID-19-related myoclonus and ataxia.

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