BACKGROUND: Presently, clinic memory scale is used to evaluate learning memory ability in most studies, and the influence of difference in measurement condition of individuals exists. OBJECTIVE: To study the correlation between regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) perfusion and learning memory function in special brain regions of patients with cerebral infarction at convalescent period, and to try to find out a method which can quantitatively evaluate learning ability. DESIGN: Case observation, and correlation analysis. SETTINGS: Shandong Institute for Behavioral Medicine; the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College. PARTICIPANTS: Totally 70 patients with cerebral infarction admitted to Department of Neurology, Jining Medical College between January 2004 and December 2005 were involved. The involved patients, 58 male and 12 female, were averaged (52±3)years, and they were all right handed. They all met the diagnosis criteria instituted by the Fourth National Conference on Cerebrovascular Disease, and were confirmed as cerebral infarction by skull CT or MRI. Informed consents of detected items were obtained from all the patients and relatives. METHODS: When the patients were at convalescent period, their learning and memory ability were measured with “ clinic memory scale (set A)”. The 18 patients whose total mark over 100 were regarded as good learning memory function group; The 23 cases whose total mark less than 70 were regarded as poor learning memory function group. RCBF of hippocampus, nucleus amygdalae, temporal cortex and prefrontal lobe of patients between two groups were measured and compared by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The total scores of the 18 good learning memory patients and 23 poor learning memory patients were taken as dependent variable Y, and their rCBFs of hippocampus, nucleus amygdale, temporal cortex and prefrontal lobe respectively as independent variable X for linear correlation analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Correlation of rCBF in different brain regions and learning memory ability in patients with cerebral infarction. RESULTS: ① The rCBF of hippocampus, nucleus amygdale, temportal cortex and prefrontal cortex of good learning memory function group were significantly higher than those of poor learning memory function group (P < 0.05). ②In the good learning memory function group, rCBF of hippocampus, nucleus amygdale, temportal cortex and prefrontal cortex were significantly positively correlated with memory scale scores(r = 0.961, 0.926, 0.954, 0.907, P < 0.05), and also in the poor learning memory function group (r = 0.979, 0.976, 0.991, 0.953, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The rCBF of hippocampus, nucleus amygdale, temportal cortex and prefrontal cortex of patients with cerebral infarction are significantly positively correlated with memory scale scores. Predicting learning memory ability of patients by quantitative determination of rCBF provides a quantitative and objective method for evaluating learning memory ability. BACKGROUND: Presently, clinic memory scale is used to evaluate learning memory ability in most studies, and the influence of difference in measurement condition of individuals exists. OBJECTIVE: To study the correlation between regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) perfusion and learning memory function in special brain regions of patients with cerebral infarction at convalescent period, and to try to find out a method which can quantitatively evaluate evaluate ability. DESIGN: Case observation, and correlation analysis. SETTINGS: Shandong Institute for Behavioral Medicine; the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical PARTICIPANTS: Totally 70 patients with cerebral infarction admitted to Department of Neurology, Jining Medical College between January 2004 and December 2005 were involved. The involved patients, 58 male and 12 female, were averaged (52 ± 3) years, and they were all right the. They all met the diagnosis criteria instituted by the Fourth National Conference on Cerebro vascular Disease, and were confirmed as cerebral infarction by skull CT or MRI. Informed consents of detected items were obtained from all the patients and relatives. METHODS: When the patients were at convalescent period, their learning and memory ability were measured with “clinic Memory scale (set A) ”. The 18 patient whose total mark over 100 were expressed as good learning memory function group; 23 cases whose total mark less than 70 were regarded as poor learning memory function group. RCBF of hippocampus, nucleus amygdalae , temporal cortex and prefrontal lobe of patients between two groups were measured and compared by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The total scores of the 18 good learning memory patients and 23 poor learning memory patients were taken as dependent variable Y, and their rCBFs of hippocampus, nucleus amygdale, temporal cortex and prefrontal lobe respectively as independent variable X for linear correlation analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE S: Correlation of rCBF in different brain regions and learning memory ability in patients with cerebral infarction. RESULTS: ① The rCBF of hippocampus, nucleus amygdale, temportal cortex and prefrontal cortex of good learning memory function group were significantly higher than those of poor learning memory function (r = 0.961, 0.926, 0.954, 0.907, P <0.05) .Conclusion: The expression of rCBF of hippocampus, nucleus amygdale, temportal cortex and prefrontal cortex were significantly correlated with memory scale scores , and also in the poor learning memory function group (r = 0.979, 0.976, 0.991, 0.953, P <0.05) CONCLUSION: The rCBF of hippocampus, nucleus amygdale, temportal cortex and prefrontal cortex of patients with cerebral infarction are both correlated with memory scale scores. Predicting learning memory ability of patients by quantitative determination of rCBF provides a quantitative and objective method for ev aluating learning memory ability.