The whiplash injury is defined as distortion of the cervical spine, which results from acceleration forces. More than one million such injuries occur in the United States every year (N Eng J Med 330:1083-84 (1994)). After one year, about 5% of patients with whiplash remain incapacitated. For a number of years, non-specific back and neck injuries have prompted personal injury suits. Only recently, the possibility of brain damage has been considered as well. In this study, six clinically and neuro-psychologically impaired patients with whiplash and 12 normal controls were investigated (J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry: 63 368-372 (1997)) by PET and SPECT scanning. Two-thirds of those with neuropsychological disturbances cited memory and concentration. Also noted as deficits were verbal memory, learning, attention, multitasking, and reaction time.

On CT and MRI of the brain, no pathological controls. First SPECT imaging was performed, then PET imaging on an average of fifty days later. The interval from day of accident to day of SPECT imaging was 20 months.

The study found that compared with controls, the patients had significant hypometabolism and hypoperfusion in the parieto-occipital regions, right and left.

These findings support the use of PET and SPECT imaging in personal injury claims following whiplash injury. The correlation of bi-parieto-occipital hypoperfusion with neuropsychological deficits will be better established by comparing imaging findings in a whiplash group with clear neuropsychological deficits to a group with only vague findings.