Lateralization as a Factor in the Prognosis of Middle Cerebral Artery Territorial Infarct

• Published in: European neurology Vol. 48; no. 3; pp. 141 - 145
• Main Authors: Aszalós, Zsuzsa, Barsi, Péter, Vitrai, József, Nagy, Zoltán
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland Karger 01.01.2002; S. Karger AG
• Subjects: Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Depression - etiology; Female; Functional Laterality - physiology; Humans; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery - complications; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery - mortality; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery - pathology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neurology; Original Paper; Prognosis; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system; Stroke; Prognosis; Lateralization; Human; Cerebral infarction; Nervous system diseases; Middle cerebral artery; Cardiovascular disease; Cerebral disorder; Vascular disease; Central nervous system disease; Adult; Predictive factor; Laterality; Localization; Cerebrovascular disease
• ISSN: 0014-3022; 1421-9913
• DOI: 10.1159/000065515

The consequences of cerebral infarcts involving the left hemisphere differ from those of the right homologue areas. Data of 337 consecutive, unselected patients with acute ischaemic stroke in the territory of the right or left middle cerebral artery were analysed. Furthermore, lesion locations of 77 stroke patients with early death were compared with those of 315 patients followed for more than 28 days. Without any differences in stroke severity and in the volume of the lesions, the outcome of strokes of the right hemisphere was less favourable, and the case fatality rate was higher than in controls during a 10-year follow-up period. The rate of early death due to cardiogenic cause was relatively higher in the right hemispherical group. The asymmetry of the sympathetic nervous system, and the distinct psychosyndromes following the injury of the two hemispheres may underlie this difference in prognosis.