title: Structural remodeling of white matter in the contralesional hemisphere is correlated with early motor recovery in patients with subcortical infarction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to identify brain areas with white matter changes that contribute to motor recovery of affected limbs during acute to sub-acute phases of subcortical infarction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diffusion tensor imaging was performed 1, 4, and 12 weeks after stroke onset in 18 patients with acute subcortical infarct, and in 18 age- and risk factor-matched controls. Fugl-Meyer scale was used to assess levels of motor impairment, and Statistical Parametric Mapping was applied to determine fractional anisotropy (FA) changes for the entire brain in order to identify areas correlated with motor recovery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fugl-Meyer scores of patients at 4 and 12 weeks were significantly higher than those at 1 week (all p < 0.01). Accompanying with the progressive decreases of FA in the corticospinal tract above and below the stroke lesion, progressive increases of FA in the contralesional medial frontal gyrus, and thalamocortical connections including projections to the somatosensory cortices, primary motor cortex, and premotor areas, were positively correlated with Fugl-Meyer scores (all p < 0.005) within 12 weeks following acute subcortical infarction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Remodeling of white matter in contralesional brain regions related to motor, cognition, and sensory processing may facilitate early motor recovery in patients with an acute infarct.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat- Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat- Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat- Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xinran
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat- Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shihui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: Krishna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dani
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Imaging Diagnosis and Interventional Center, Cancer Center of Sun Yat- Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chuanmiao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Imaging Diagnosis and Interventional Center, Cancer Center of Sun Yat- Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Kangqiang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Informatics and Medical Image, College of Biomedical Engineering of Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jingna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat- Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat- Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat- Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat- Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Pei
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat- Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jinsheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D066127:White Matter / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Subcortical infarction; diffusion tensor imaging; motor recovery; neural plasticity; white matter