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Brain Infarct Segmentation and Registration on MRI or CT for Lesion-symptom Mapping
Published on: September 25, 2019
Differential Lesion Patterns Associated With Stroke-Induced Apraxia in Women and Men.
Nina N Kleineberg1,2, Claudia C Schmidt2, Gereon R Fink1,2
1Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
European Journal of Neurology
|May 23, 2025
Summary
This study found that while men and women with apraxia after stroke perform similarly on motor tasks, they have different brain lesion patterns. These findings suggest sex-based differences in how the brain organizes praxis functions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Stroke Research
Background:
- Apraxia is a common motor-cognitive deficit following stroke, significantly impacting daily living.
- Limited research exists on sex differences in apraxia, despite known sex influences on praxis in healthy individuals.
- This study addresses the knowledge gap by investigating sex differences in apraxic stroke patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate potential sex differences in apraxic stroke patients at both behavioral and neural levels.
- To explore differential lesion patterns associated with apraxia between sexes.
- To understand the neural underpinnings of sex-related variations in praxis deficits post-stroke.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 102 left-hemisphere stroke patients diagnosed with apraxia.
- Voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping (VLSM) to identify lesion patterns.
- Comparison of an age-matched subsample (30 men, 30 women) for behavioral and neural differences.
Main Results:
- Apraxic deficits in the overall cohort were linked to lesions in parietal, temporal, and frontal regions.
- No significant behavioral performance differences in praxis functions were observed between sexes.
- Voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping revealed distinct lesion patterns: males more frequently had lesions in the left inferior frontal gyrus compared to females.
Conclusions:
- The study suggests a sex-differentiated organization of the praxis system in stroke patients.
- These findings highlight the need for further research into sex-specific neural pathways for motor control.
- Understanding these differences may inform tailored rehabilitation strategies for apraxia post-stroke.
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