Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria (Dec 2011)

Neuroimaging in stroke and non-stroke pusher patients

  • Taiza Elaine Grespan Santos-Pontelli,
  • Octavio Marques Pontes-Neto,
  • Draulio Barros de Araujo,
  • Antonio Carlos dos Santos,
  • João Pereira Leite

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/S0004-282X2011000700013
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 69, no. 6
pp. 914 – 919

Abstract

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Pusher behavior (PB) is a disorder of postural control affecting patients with encephalic lesions. This study has aimed to identify the brain substrates that are critical for the occurrence of PB, to analyze the influence of the midline shift (MS) and hemorrhagic stroke volume (HSV) on the severity and prognosis of the PB. We identified 31 pusher patients of a neurological unit, mean age 67.4±11.89, 61.3% male. Additional neurological and functional examinations were assessed. Neuroimaging workup included measurement of the MS, the HSV in patients with hemorrhagic stroke, the analysis of the vascular territory, etiology and side of the lesion. Lesions in the parietal region (p=0.041) and thalamus (p=0.001) were significantly more frequent in PB patients. Neither the MS nor the HSV were correlated with the PB severity or recovery time.

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