Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026
10:33
Advanced Diffusion Imaging in The Hippocampus of Rats with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: August 14, 2019
Diffusion tensor imaging, permanent pyramidal tract damage, and outcome in subcortical stroke.
B Radlinska1, S Ghinani, I R Leppert
1Neurology Department, Room E006.2, SMBD Jewish General Hospital and Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, 3755, Chemin de la Cote St. Catherine, Montreal, QC, H3T 1E2 Canada. alexander.thiel@mcgill.ca
Neurology
|September 22, 2010
Summary
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of the pyramidal tract (PT) in acute stroke patients reveals permanent damage. DTI parameters accurately predict motor function recovery in both early and later stages after stroke.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neurology
- Stroke Research
Background:
- Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters of the pyramidal tract (PT) correlate with motor function in chronic stroke.
- Acute subcortical infarcts may cause permanent PT damage, impacting motor function.
- The relationship between DTI parameters and long-term motor outcomes in acute stroke needs further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate if DTI parameters (tract volume and fractional anisotropy) in acute subcortical infarcts correlate with permanent PT damage.
- To assess the correlation between DTI parameters and clinical motor outcomes at 6 months post-stroke.
Main Methods:
- Prospective controlled study involving 18 acute subcortical stroke patients (PT and non-PT groups) and 7 controls.
- DTI acquired at median 12 and 180 days; PT isolated using tractography.
- Calculated tract volume ratios (R(TV)) and FA ratios (R(FA)) and correlated with Rivermead Motor Function Test (RMFT) scores.
Main Results:
- PT group showed significantly lower mean R(FA) and R(TV) compared to non-PT and control groups at both time points.
- Tract portions above the infarct had lower R(TV) than those below.
- No significant changes in R(FA) and R(TV) over time; both highly correlated with RMFT scores.
Conclusions:
- DTI parameters of PT integrity in the early weeks post-stroke measure permanent ischemic damage.
- These DTI parameters strongly correlate with residual motor function in both acute and chronic stages.
- DTI is a valuable tool for assessing stroke-related motor deficits and predicting recovery.
