Ann Rehabil Med.  2015 Aug;39(4):570-576. 10.5535/arm.2015.39.4.570.

Prediction of Motor Recovery Using Diffusion Tensor Tractography in Supratentorial Stroke Patients With Severe Motor Involvement

• Kim KH
• Kim YH
• Kim MS
• Park CH
• Lee A
• Chang WH

• KMID: 2148227
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5535/arm.2015.39.4.570

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether early stage diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) values predict motor function at 3 months after onset in supratentorial stroke patients with severe motor involvement.
METHODS
A retrospective study design was used to analyze medical records and neuroimaging data of 49 supratentorial stroke patients with severe motor involvement. Diffusion tensor imaging was assessed within 3 weeks after stroke in all patients. Three-dimensional tractography of the ipsilateral corticospinal tract (CST) was performed using the fiber assignment of the continuous tracking algorithm. The two-step DTT analysis was used. The first step was classification according to ipsilateral CST visualization. The second step was a quantitative analysis of the visible-CST group parameters. Motor function was assessed at 2 weeks and at 3 months after stroke. Comparative and correlation analyses were performed between DTT-derived measures and motor assessment scores.
RESULTS
Motor function of the upper extremity at 3 months after stroke was significantly higher in the visible-CST group than that in the nonvisible-CST group (p<0.05). Early stage fractional anisotropy was of DTT correlated significantly with upper extremity motor function at 3 months after stroke in the visible-CST group (p<0.05).
CONCLUSION
These results demonstrate that early DTT-derived measures predict motor recovery in the upper extremity at 3 months after onset in supratentorial stroke patients with severe motor involvement.

Keyword

Motor recovery; Corticospinal tract; Diffusion tensor tractography; Fractional anisotropy; FACT algorithm

MeSH Terms

Anisotropy
Classification
Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Diffusion*
Humans
Medical Records
Neuroimaging
Pyramidal Tracts
Retrospective Studies
Stroke*
Upper Extremity

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Example of visualization of the corticospinal tract. ①, motor cortex; ②, lower anterior pons; ③, superior and middle cerebellar peduncle.

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