Diffusion tensor imaging detects Wallerian degeneration of the corticospinal tract early after cerebral infarction.
To investigate the feasibility and time window of early detection of Wallerian degeneration in the corticospinal tract after middle cerebral artery infarction, 23 patients were assessed using magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging at 3.0T within 14 days after the infarction. The fractional anisotropy values of the affected corticospinal tract began to decrease at 3 days after onset and decreased in all cases at 7 days. The diffusion coefficient remained unchanged. Experimental findings indicate that diffusion tensor imaging can detect the changes associated with Wallerian degeneration of the corticospinal tract as early as 3 days after cerebral infarction.
Department of Neurology and Gerontology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Ruiman
R
Xie
Department of Neurology and Gerontology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Min
M
Fang
Department of Radiology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China.
Linjiang
L
Zhou
Department of Neurology and Gerontology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Shanghua
S
Fan
Department of Neurology and Gerontology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Jianying
J
Liu
Department of Neurology and Gerontology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Hongbo
H
Quan
Department of Neurology and Gerontology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Man
M
Luo
Department of Neurology and Gerontology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Dongying
D
Qiu
Wallerian degeneration; corticospinal tracts; diffusion tensor imaging; fractional anisotropy; neural regeneration; neuroimaging