[Anoxic Encephalopathy. Clinical Description, Prognosis and Neuroimaging]

Objectives: To describe the clinical profile (neuropsychological, psychopathological, functional and neuroimaging), as well as the evolution of patients with anoxic encephalopathy.

Patients And Methods: Nine patients with anoxic encephalopathy attending our Service were included in the study. All patients were assessed with a broad range of neuropsychological tests, checklists of psychopathological symptoms, and several functional scales. A CT/MRI or a positron emission tomography (PET) were performed in five patients. Five patients were admitted to a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program.

Results: All patients showed problems in orientation, executive functions, verbal learning an immediate and long-term verbal memory, in association with diffuse cognitive changes in other functions. Psychopathologically, all patients showed apathy-indifference, and eight subjects showed anosognosia. All subjects have an important dependence in daily activities. CT/MRI were normal or showed subcortical changes whereas the PET showed a predominantly cortical hypometabolism with specific patterns. There were no significant improvements after rehabilitation in treated patients.

Conclusion: In the absence of a unique clinical profile, our patients with anoxic encephalopathy showed similarities in their symptoms (diffuse cognitive deficits with predominance of amnesic and executive impairments; presence of apathy and anosognosia; complete functional dependence; and poor response to the rehabilitation). Functional neuroimaging could be a useful tool for a better understanding of these encephalopathies.