J Korean Acad Rehabil Med.  2009 Apr;33(2):242-245.

Bilateral Thalamic Ischemic Injury : A case report

• Kim SH
• Seok H
• Lee JB
• Suh JW

Abstract

Thalamic infarction is frequently bilateral due to the nature of the vascular supply to the thalamic region, and is usually caused by cardiogenic embolism or emboli originating from the proximal basilar or vertebral artery. But there have been no reported case of bilateral thalamic ischemic injury. A 25-year old man was in coma after committing suicide, hanging his neck. MRI showed bilateral pulvinar ischemic injury. He showed disturbance in recent memory, calculation, and had bilateral hemianopsia, transcortical motor aphasia, intentional tremor, proprioceptive sensory dysfunction. He was treated with progressive physical therapy for ambulation, repeated stimuli with TENS for proprioception, given donepezil 5 mg and cognitive training for improvement of cognition. After discharge, he was able to walk independently at outdoors, and could do all activities of daily living by himself. All motor and sensory functions of upper and lower extremities were recovered except tremor and dynamic standing balance dysfunction.

Keyword

Bilateral thalamic ischemic injury

MeSH Terms

Activities of Daily Living
Aphasia, Broca
Cognition
Coma
Embolism
Hemianopsia
Indans
Infarction
Lower Extremity
Memory
Neck
Piperidines
Proprioception
Pulvinar
Sensation
Suicide
Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation
Tremor
Vertebral Artery
Walking
Indans
Piperidines