Magnetic resonance imaging of the corticospinal tracts in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

In 13 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), corticospinal tract lesions on spinal cord, brain and brain stem were examined by MR imaging. In 9 patients, areas of high signal intensity located in the dorsolateral columns coinciding with the lateral corticospinal tracts, were detected on...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the neurological sciences 1995-11, Vol.133 (1), p.66-72
Main Authors: Terao, Shin-ichi, Sobue, Gen, Yasuda, Takeshi, Kachi, Teruhiko, Takahashi, Masahiko, Mitsuma, Terunori
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - pathology
Corticospinal tracts
Disease Progression
Evaluation Studies as Topic
Female
Functional Laterality - physiology
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Middle Aged
Pyramidal Tracts - pathology
Spinal cord
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Summary:In 13 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), corticospinal tract lesions on spinal cord, brain and brain stem were examined by MR imaging. In 9 patients, areas of high signal intensity located in the dorsolateral columns coinciding with the lateral corticospinal tracts, were detected on axial T2 ∗-weighted MR imaging of the cervical spinal cord using a gradient echo technique. In two patients, these spinal cord MR abnormalities corresponded well to the postmortem pathological findings of lateral corticospinal tract degeneration. T2-weighted abnormal MR signals along the corticospinal tract at the brain and brain stem were detected in 4 patients, all of whom also showed abnormal signals on cervical cord MR imaging. Four of 13 patients did not show any abnormal signals on brain and brain stem or spinal cord MR imaging. Spinal cord MR imaging provides a useful information regarding upper motor neuron lesions in ALS.
ISSN:0022-510X
1878-5883
DOI:10.1016/0022-510X(95)00143-P