title: Degeneration of the Arnold's prefrontopontocerebellar tract in a case of locked-in syndrome over a 23-year period.
abstract: A 52-year-old woman has been under observation for a complete locked-in syndrome of vascular origin, since 1984. Her cognitive functions today are still normal. When first diagnosed, a CT-scan was made and 23 years later performed, a cerebral MRI was performed. A focal, bilateral and symmetric atrophy of the dorsomedial prefrontal gyri was clearly shown, contrasting with the non-atrophy of the precentral gyri (motor area), others prefrontal areas, frontopolar gyri and temporal cortices. Degeneration of the corticopontine projection, the first step in the corticopontocerebellar circuit, could explain this selective atrophy. This unique observation leads to the precise in vivo anatomical location of the Arnold tract.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'anatomie de Rockefeller, université de Lyon 1, Lyon, France; Service de radiologie, centre hospitalier Lyon Sud, hospices civils de Lyon, 69495 Pierre-Bénite cedex, France; Creatis-LRMN, CNRS UMR 5220, Inserm U630, université de Lyon 1, 69621 Villeurbanne cedex, France. Electronic address: francois.cotton@chu-lyon.fr.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cotton
authors.affiliation: Inserm UMR-S 864, université de Lyon 1, Bron, France; Service de médecine physique et réadaptation, hôpital Henry-Gabrielle, hospices civils de Lyon, université de Lyon 1, route de Vourles, 69230 Saint-Genis-Laval, France.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ciancia
authors.affiliation: Inserm UMR-S 864, université de Lyon 1, Bron, France; Service de médecine physique et réadaptation, hôpital Henry-Gabrielle, hospices civils de Lyon, université de Lyon 1, route de Vourles, 69230 Saint-Genis-Laval, France.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tell
authors.affiliation: Inserm UMR-S 864, université de Lyon 1, Bron, France; Service de médecine physique et réadaptation, hôpital Henry-Gabrielle, hospices civils de Lyon, université de Lyon 1, route de Vourles, 69230 Saint-Genis-Laval, France.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lachaise
authors.affiliation: IADI Inserm U947, département d'anatomie, service de neuroradiologie, hôpital neurologique, CHU de Nancy, université de Nancy, 54035 Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Braun
authors.affiliation: Inserm UMR-S 864, université de Lyon 1, Bron, France; Service de médecine physique et réadaptation, hôpital Henry-Gabrielle, hospices civils de Lyon, université de Lyon 1, route de Vourles, 69230 Saint-Genis-Laval, France.
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rode
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D011149:Pons / Q000473:pathology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000473:pathology*