title: Diffusion tensor imaging of the cerebellum in patients after heat stroke.
abstract: To explore the application value of cerebellar diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in patients after heat stroke (HS). Eleven patients after HS with a score of 3-9 in Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and seven age-matched healthy volunteers were selected to undergo MR examinations during the same hot summer. The MR studies including DTI were performed with a 1.5 T scanner. Fractional anisotropy (FA) values of normal-appearing cerebellar white and gray matter were measured and the differences between the two groups were evaluated with Mann-Whitney U test. The FA value of normal-appearing cerebellar white matter in patients after HS was found to be decreased compared to normal control subjects (652.5 ± 86.1 vs 769.5 ± 58.4, p = 0.025). The FA value of normal-appearing cerebellar gray matter in patients after HS was found to be decreased compared to normal control subjects (158.8 ± 27.9 vs 187.5 ± 15.8, p = 0.040). Neural damage of the cerebellum induced by HS may be effectively evaluated by DTI with the decrease of FA value in normal-appearing cerebellum structures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Yantai Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University, No. 717, Jinbu Street, Yantai, 264100, Shandong, China, bzmceducn@sina.com.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xue-Yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhi-Meng
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Pei-Yuan
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ji-Kai
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Hai-Fei
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016880:Anisotropy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000473:pathology*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D018883:Heat Stroke / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric