Abstract
To evaluate the relationship between cerebral ventricular size and motor function and effect of rehabilitation, we examined cerebroventricular indices (CVI) on CT scans (bicaudate, bifrontal, bioccipital and bicentral CVI) in 21 patients with parkinsonism and in 83 patients with cerebrovascular accident (CVA). The mean value of bicaudate CVI in patients with parkinsonism was 22.1±4.6%, and was significantly greater (p<0.05) than that in patients with CVA. In patients with parkinsonism, the gait disturbance was milder and the significant improvement of motor function during rehabilitation was observed (p<0.05) in patients with smaller CVI (<22.1%) compared with those with greater CVI (>22.1%). In patients with CVA, bicaudate, bioccipital and bicentral CVI were significantly greater (p<0.05) in patients with severe CVA than those with mild CVA, although the difference in motor function and activity of daily living was not statistically significant between the patients with greater and smaller CVI.
These results suggest that the increase in CVI, especially bicaudate CVI, may be specifically detected in patients with parkinsonism and that the measurement of CVI on CT scans may be useful for the evaluation of the effect of rehabilitation and of the improvement of motor function in parkinsonism.
