Paula L Corradini and Michael A Persinger
Background: Discerning dysfunction or damage by classic neuropsychological tests within the anterior medial
surfaces of the cerebrum and the tissue influenced by the distributions of the Anterior Cerebral Artery following
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) has been ambiguous. Toe graphaesthesia (TG) has been shown to be associated with
increased perfusion rates as measured by Single Positron Emission Computerized Tomography (SPECT) within the
medial prefrontal region. The utility of TG to discern impairment was investigated.
Methods: A total of 25 patients who has sustained TBI secondary to motor vehicle incidents and who were
referred for a full neuropsychological assessment to discern level of function were administered the TG while 19
quantitative electroencephalographic (QEEG) measurements were recorded.
Results: Toe graphaesthesia scores were significantly impaired (z scores>-2.0) for patients whose
Neuropsychological Impairment Indices were greater than 0.3 for the Halstead-Reitan Index. The only QEEG variable
that correlated with the TG error rate was lower power for high beta activity over the central channels.
Conclusions: Standardized scores for toe graphaesthesia, which requires about ten minutes to administer, is
a valid indicator of the functional integrity of the medial prefrontal region and has now been validated by QEEG and
SPECT measurements.
