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Updated: Aug 8, 2026
Brain Infarct Segmentation and Registration on MRI or CT for Lesion-symptom Mapping
Published on: September 25, 2019
Peri-infarct reorganization in a patient with corona radiata infarct: a combined study of functional MRI and
Sung Ho Jang1, Sang Ho Ahn, Jung Sang Ha
1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Republic of Korea. strokerehab@hanmail.net
Purpose:
We investigated the motor recovery mechanism of a stroke patient using functional MRI (fMRI) and diffusion tensor image tractography (DTT).
Methods:
A 60 year-old woman with right corona radiata infarct presented with complete paralysis of the left upper extremity. The motor function of the affected upper extremity recovered slowly for 6 months to a point of nearly normal function. The motor function of the patient was evaluated by fMRI and DTT at 6 months from the onset. FMRI was performed at 1.5 T with timed hand grasp-release movements. DTT was performed using 1.5 T with a synergy-L Sensitivity Encoding head coil. Three dimensional reconstructions of the fiber tracts were obtained with FA < 0.3, angle > 45 degrees as termination criteria.
Results:
The contralateral primary sensorimotor cortex (SM1) was activated during both affected (left) and unaffected hand movements. DTT showed that the tracts originated from either SM1; the tracts then descended along the known pathway of the corticospinal tract, with the exception that the tract of the affected (right) hemisphere descended along the posterior portion of the infarcted corona radiata.
Conclusions:
It seems that the motor function of the affected upper extremity was reorganized to the posterior portion of the infarcted corona radiata. This finding may reflect functional reorganization of the motor pathway following corticospinal tract damage. This appears to be one motor recovery mechanism of subcortical infarct.
