Serial [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography after human neuronal implantation for stroke

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: There is no known effective treatment for chronic stroke. In this report, we used positron emission tomography (PET) with [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) to map the metabolic brain response to neuronal cell implantation in the first human neuroimplantation trial for stroke. METHODS: Twelve patients (nine men, three women; mean age ± standard deviation, 60.8 ± 8.3 yr) with chronic basal ganglia infarction and persistent motor deficit underwent FDG PET within I week before and 6 and 12 months after stereotactic implantation of human neuronal cells. Serial neurological evaluations during a 52-week postoperative period included the National Institutes of Health stroke scale and the Euro..