Evaluating ischemic stroke with diffusion tensor imaging

• Published in: Neurological research (New York) 2008-09, Vol.30 (7), p.720-726
• Main Authors: Chen, Ziqian, Ni, Ping, Zhang, Jing, Ye, Youqiang, Xiao, Hui, Qian, Gennian, Xu, Shangwen, Wang, Jingliang, Yang, Xizhang, Chen, Jinhua, Zhang, Biyun, Zeng, Yanjun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anisotropy; Brain - blood supply; Brain - pathology; Brain Ischemia - diagnosis; Brain Ischemia - physiopathology; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging - standards; DIFFUSION TENSOR IMAGING; Female; FRACTIONAL ANISOTROPY; Functional Laterality - physiology; Hand - innervation; Hand - physiopathology; Humans; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted - methods; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery - diagnosis; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery - physiopathology; ISCHEMIC STROKE; Male; Middle Aged; Muscle Weakness - diagnosis; Muscle Weakness - etiology; Muscle Weakness - physiopathology; Muscle, Skeletal - innervation; Muscle, Skeletal - physiopathology; Nerve Fibers, Myelinated - pathology; Neural Pathways - blood supply; Neural Pathways - pathology; Neural Pathways - physiopathology; Paresis - diagnosis; Paresis - etiology; Paresis - physiopathology; Predictive Value of Tests; Pyramidal Tracts - blood supply; Pyramidal Tracts - pathology; Pyramidal Tracts - physiopathology; Severity of Illness Index; Stroke - diagnosis; Stroke - physiopathology
• ISSN: 0161-6412; 1743-1328
• DOI: 10.1179/174313208X297968

Introduction: In recent years, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has emerged as a promising tool to study ischemic stroke. The aim of this study is to evaluate the anisotropic changes of cerebral white matter tracks in patients with ischemic stroke using DTI, and investigate the correlation between corticospinal tract damage and muscle strength in such patients during acute ischemia. Methods: Nine patients with acute ischemic stroke and nine healthy subjects were examined with T1 weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), T2 weighted MRI and DTI. Fractional anisotropy (FA) was measured and the three-dimensional fibrous band images of bilateral corticospinal tracts were reconstructed. The muscle strength of the affected hand was assessed by Brunnstorm standard. Results: In the control group, there was no significant difference in FA between the bilateral corticospinal tracts, but FA in different white matter structures of the same side was significantly different (t=3.12, p