title: Prediction of Motor Recovery Using Diffusion Tensor Tractography in Supratentorial Stroke Patients With Severe Motor Involvement.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether early stage diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) values predict motor function at 3 months after onset in supratentorial stroke patients with severe motor involvement.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study design was used to analyze medical records and neuroimaging data of 49 supratentorial stroke patients with severe motor involvement. Diffusion tensor imaging was assessed within 3 weeks after stroke in all patients. Three-dimensional tractography of the ipsilateral corticospinal tract (CST) was performed using the fiber assignment of the continuous tracking algorithm. The two-step DTT analysis was used. The first step was classification according to ipsilateral CST visualization. The second step was a quantitative analysis of the visible-CST group parameters. Motor function was assessed at 2 weeks and at 3 months after stroke. Comparative and correlation analyses were performed between DTT-derived measures and motor assessment scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Motor function of the upper extremity at 3 months after stroke was significantly higher in the visible-CST group than that in the nonvisible-CST group (p<0.05). Early stage fractional anisotropy was of DTT correlated significantly with upper extremity motor function at 3 months after stroke in the visible-CST group (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate that early DTT-derived measures predict motor recovery in the upper extremity at 3 months after onset in supratentorial stroke patients with severe motor involvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Center for Prevention and Rehabilitation, Heart Vascular and Stroke Institute, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kang Hee
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Center for Prevention and Rehabilitation, Heart Vascular and Stroke Institute, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. ; Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Science and Technology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yun-Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan, Korea.
authors.forename: Min Su
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Center for Prevention and Rehabilitation, Heart Vascular and Stroke Institute, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chang-Hyun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Samsung Advanced Institute for Health Science and Technology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ahee
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Center for Prevention and Rehabilitation, Heart Vascular and Stroke Institute, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Won Hyuk
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Chang
keywords: Corticospinal tract; Diffusion tensor tractography; FACT algorithm; Fractional anisotropy; Motor recovery