title: MRI of bilateral sensorimotor network activation in response to direct intracortical stimulation in rats after unilateral stroke.
abstract: Reinstatement of perilesional activation and connectivity may underlie functional recovery after stroke. To measure activation responsiveness in perilesional cortex in relation to white matter integrity, we performed functional functional magnetic resonance imaging during stimulation of the contralesional cortex, together with diffusion tensor imaging, 3 and 28 days after stroke in rats. Despite disturbed sensorimotor function and abnormal callosal appearance at day 3, activation amplitudes were preserved in the perilesional sensorimotor cortex, although time-to-peak was significantly delayed. This indicates that in spite of dysfunction, perilesional cortical tissue can be activated subacutely after stroke, while delay of the hemodynamic activation response suggests impaired neurovascular coupling.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical MR Imaging and Spectroscopy Group, Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Maurits P A
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: van Meer
authors.forename: Kajo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: van der Marel
authors.forename: Jan Willem Berkelbach
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: van der Sprenkel
authors.forename: Rick M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Dijkhuizen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020521:Stroke / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*