Presurgical prediction of motor functional loss using tractography

The usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging tractography is demonstrated in the presurgical planning of an 8-year-old girl with intractable epilepsy. Imaging and intracranial electrode monitoring suggested a left hemispherectomy for complete control of her seizures. Although this child was hemiplegic, she retained considerable motor function in her right hand, and her parents and the epilepsy team voiced significant concern that she would lose right-hand function after a hemispherectomy. Tractography indicated near-complete absence of her left corticospinal tract and a more robust than normal corticospinal tract in the right hemisphere. This finding suggested that her right motor function had reorganized to the right hemisphere and the ipsilateral corticospinal tract. After surgery, her seizures were completely controlled, and no change in right motor activity was evident compared with her presurgical status. Tractography helped determine the extent of cortical resection and predict the extent of motor functional loss.