Transcallosal fibers from corticospinal tract in patients with cerebral infarct.
Diffusion tensor image tractography (DTT) can visualize white matter tracts and provide a powerful vehicle with which to investigate the neural pathway at the subcortical level. We attempted to demonstrate the clinical significance of transcallosal fibers (TCF) originating from the corticospinal tract in patients with corona radiata infarct located below the corpus callosum, using diffusion tensor image tractography (DTT). Forty patients with corona radiata infarct located below the corpus callosum and 26 control subjects were enrolled in this study. We classified the DTT findings as follows: no transcallosal fiber from the CST (type A), transcallosal fiber ended in the corpus callosum or connected to the cortex of the opposite hemisphere (type B), and transcallosal fiber that descended toward the lesion after passing through the corpus callosum (type C). Type C indicated that the presence of transcallosal fibers starting from the CST of the unaffected hemisphere was significantly more prevalent in the patients, and these patients showed the poorest motor function. It seems that transcallosal fibers originated from the CST of the unaffected hemisphere, and fibers descending toward the lesion in patients with corona radiata infarct may act to compensate for motor deficits.
Jang
Sung Ho
SH
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Yeungnam University College of Medicine, Daegu, Republic of Korea. strokerehab@hanmail.net
Park
Kyung-A
KA
Ahn
Sang Ho
SH
Cho
Yoon Woo
YW
Byun
Woo Mok
WM
Son
Su Min
SM
Choi
Jin Ho
JH
Kwon
Young Hyun
YH