Changes in fMRI and Neurocognitive Function in Women With Pre-eclampsia

Inclusion Criteria:Severe Pre-Eclampsia defined by

- Symptoms of central nervous system dysfunction (New onset cerebral or visual
disturbance, such as: Photopsia, scotomata, cortical blindness, retinal vasospasm)

- Severe headache (ie, incapacitating, "the worst headache I've ever had") or headache
that persists and progresses despite analgesic therapy

- Altered mental status

- Hepatic abnormality (Severe persistent right upper quadrant or epigastric pain
unresponsive to medication and not accounted for by an alternative diagnosis or serum
transaminase concentration ≥ twice normal, or both)

- Severe blood pressure elevation (Systolic blood pressure ≥160 mmHg or diastolic blood
pressure ≥110 mmHg on two occasions at least four hours apart while the patient is on
bedrest (unless the patient is on antihypertensive therapy))

- Thrombocytopenia (<100,000 platelets/microL)

- Renal abnormality (Progressive renal insufficiency (serum creatinine >1.1 mg/dL or
doubling of serum creatinine concentration in the absence of other renal disease))

- Pulmonary edema

15 English-speaking pregnant controls with uncomplicated pregnancy matched by age and
gestational age will be enrolled from the antenatal clinic or the labor ward.

Exclusion Criteria:

- History of symptomatic cerebrovascular disease with substantial residual deficit

- History of alcoholism

- History of psychiatric illness

- History of claustrophobia

- Renal failure (creatinine > 2.0 mg/dl)

- Patients with less than a 7th grade education or unable to read and thus unable
complete the neuropsychological testing

- Patients with bodily implants unsafe for MRI use