Contralateral thalamic perfusion in patients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome

Iodine-123-labelled iodoamphetamine single-photon emission computed tomography of patients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome showed substantial variation in thalamic perfusion of the side contralateral to the painful limb. The variations are related to time from the onset of symptoms, which suggests that the thalamus undergoes adaptive changes in the course of this neurological disorder.