Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 3, 2026
09:48
Quantification of Neurovascular Protection Following Repetitive Hypoxic Preconditioning and Transient Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion in Mice
Published on: May 4, 2015
Localized reversible reduction of apparent diffusion coefficient in transient hypoglycemia-induced hemiparesis
J Böttcher1, A Kunze, C Kurrat
1Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747 Jena, Germany. joachim.boettcher@med.uni-jena.de
Stroke
|February 5, 2005
Summary
Severe hypoglycemia can cause temporary neurological deficits and reversible MRI changes in the brain. This case highlights transient brain alterations in the corpus callosum and corona radiata due to low blood glucose.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Radiology
- Metabolic Disorders
Background:
- Hypoglycemia shares pathophysiological mechanisms with cerebral ischemia.
- Limited understanding exists regarding Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) findings in human hypoglycemia.
Observation:
- A patient presented with left hemiparesis and dysarthria, correlating with a blood glucose level of 1.7 mmol/L.
- Neurological deficits resolved completely following intravenous glucose administration.
Findings:
- Initial diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) revealed restricted diffusion (increased signal intensity and reduced apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC] values) in the splenium of the corpus callosum and corona radiata.
- Follow-up MRI after 48 hours demonstrated complete resolution of the DWI and ADC abnormalities.
Implications:
- This case represents the first documented instance of transient, hypoglycemia-induced focal neurological deficits with reversible MRI changes.
- The observed MRI alterations in DWI and ADC, with a unique topographical distribution, offer new insights into the neuroimaging of severe hypoglycemia.
