Cognitive impairment in children with hemoglobin SS sickle cell disease: relationship to MR imaging findings and hematocrit.

Abstract

Focal brain injury, revealed by MR imaging, is associated with cognitive impairment, but our data suggest that diffuse brain injury may also contribute to impairment. These findings show that impairment is multifactorial and suggest that chronic brain hypoxia is part of the pathophysiology of sickle cell disease.