title: Recovery of a partially damaged corticospinal tract in a patient with intracerebral hemorrhage: a diffusion tensor image study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We hypothesized that diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) could be useful for exploring corticospinal tract (CST) regeneration if longitudinal changes of diffusion anisotropy can be detected. In this study, we explored the recovery of a CST partially damaged by intracerebral hematoma in a patient by DTI.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 61-year-old female patient and six age-matched control subjects were evaluated. The patient presented with complete paralysis of the left extremities, which occurred at the onset of a spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in the right corona radiata and internal capsule. Over the five-month period following onset, motor function of the affected extremities slowly recovered to the normal range. Two longitudinal DTIs were acquired from the patient (at 3 weeks and 5 months from onset) and one DTI from the control subjects. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were measured using a region of interest (ROI) method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On the 3-week DTI, FA values of ROIs in the ICH regions in the affected hemisphere were significantly lower, and ADC values of ROIs in the same areas were significantly higher than those of the control subjects (p<0.002). However, both mean FA and ADC values of the affected hemisphere in the 5-month DTI showed no significant differences versus those of the control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Yeungnam University 317-1, Daemyungdong, Namku, Taegu, 705-717, Republic of Korea. strokerehab@hanmail.net
authors.forename: Sung Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Woo Mok
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Byun
authors.forename: Bong Soo
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Hae-Jeong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Daiseg
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Young Hwan
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Yong-Hyun
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Mi Young
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001931:Brain Mapping; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011712:Pyramidal Tracts / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors