Fiber-tracking method reveals sensorimotor pathway involvement in stroke patients.
OBJECTIVE
We tested the feasibility of a new MRI technique that provides visualization of the sensorimotor tracts in vivo in a group of stroke victims.


METHODS
Fourteen patients with small infarctions involving the white matter of the supratentorial brain were evaluated. Sensorimotor tracts on the lesional and contralesional sides were successfully depicted in all cases. The position of the sensorimotor tracts relative to the infarct was in good agreement with clinical symptoms. The overall sensitivity and specificity for sensorimotor tract involvement were 100% and 77%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Our proposed fiber-tracking method was shown to be a clinically feasible technique that correlates well with clinical symptoms.
Yamada
Kei
K
Department of Radiology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan. kyamada@koto.kpu-m.ac.jp
Mori
Susumu
S
Nakamura
Hisao
H
Ito
Hirotoshi
H
Kizu
Osamu
O
Shiga
Kensuke
K
Yoshikawa
Kenji
K
Makino
Masahiro
M
Yuen
Sachiko
S
Kubota
Takao
T
Tanaka
Osamu
O
Nishimura
Tsunehiko
T
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D004401:Dysarthria / Q000209:etiology; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology; D010291:Paresis / Q000209:etiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013003:Somatosensory Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors