J Korean Acad Rehabil Med.  2008 Apr;32(2):182-188.

Hand Function and Diffusion Tensor Imaging according to Response of Evoked Potentials in Post-stroke Hemiplegic Patients

• Park GY
• Cho JH
• Lee SY
• Bae JH
• Sohn CH
• Sohn SI

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between evoked potentials and fractional anisotropy (FA) ratio in posterior limb of the internal capsule and hand movement scale (HMS) in post-stroke hemiplegic patients. METHOD: Thirty-six post-stroke hemiplegic patients with a lesion in the internal capsule were included in this study. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was performed with a 3.0 tesla MR at about 1 month after stroke. FA ratio was measured in posterior limb of the internal capsule of the patients. Motor evoked potential (MEP) was obtained by magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex and recorded from the abductor pollicis muscle. Somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) was obtained by electrical stimulation of the median nerve at the wrist and recorded from the somatosensory cortex. Hand movement scale was obtained at about 1 month and 3 months after stroke.
RESULTS
Hand movement scale at about 1 month and 3 months after stroke and FA ratio were reduced significantly in patients who showed no response on MEP. However, no significant differences were observed between the patients who showed SSEP response and those who did not. FA ratio and hand movement scale were highly correlated to each other.
CONCLUSION
MEP and FA ratio can be helpful in assessing the hand function at about 1 month and 3 months in post-stroke hemiplegic patients.

Keyword

Hand movement scale; Diffusion tensor imaging; Motor evoked potential

MeSH Terms

Anisotropy
Diffusion
Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Electric Stimulation
Evoked Potentials
Evoked Potentials, Motor
Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory
Extremities
Hand
Humans
Internal Capsule
Magnetics
Magnets
Median Nerve
Motor Cortex
Muscles
Somatosensory Cortex
Stroke
Wrist