title: White matter structure and clinical characteristics of stroke patients: A diffusion tensor MRI study.
abstract: Fractional anisotropy has been used in many studies that examined post-stroke changes in white matter. This study was performed to clarify cerebral white matter changes after stroke using generalized fractional anisotropy (GFA). White matter structure was visualized using diffusion tensor imaging in 72 patients with post-stroke arm paralysis. Exercise-related brain regions were examined in cerebral white matter using GFA. The relationship between GFA and clinical characteristics was examined. Overall, the mean GFA of the lesioned hemisphere was significantly lower than that of the non-lesioned hemisphere (P<0.05), the white matter of the lesioned side was severely affected by stroke. A weak negative correlation between GFA and time since stroke onset was found in Brodmann area 5 of the non-lesioned hemisphere. Age correlated negatively with GFA in Brodmann areas 5 and 7 of the lesioned hemisphere. Though these results may be due to a decrease in the frequency of use of the paralyzed limb over time, GFA overall was significantly and negatively affected by the subject's age. The GFA values of patients with paralysis of the dominant hand were significantly different from those of patients with paralysis of the nondominant hand in Brodmann areas 4 and 6 of the non-lesioned hemisphere and Brodmann area 4 of the lesioned hemisphere (P<0.05). The stroke size and location were not associated with GFA differences. Differences between the GFA of the lesioned and non-lesioned hemispheres varied depending on the affected brain region, age at onset of paralysis, and paralysis of the dominant or non-dominant hand.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Sciences, Graduate School of Human Health Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 7-2-10 Higashi-Ogu, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo 116-8551, Japan. Electronic address: dyeorua@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8 Nishi-Shimbashi, Minato-Ku, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan. Electronic address: mela012921@yahoo.co.jp.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8 Nishi-Shimbashi, Minato-Ku, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan. Electronic address: wkakuda@jikei.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kakuda
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8 Nishi-Shimbashi, Minato-Ku, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan. Electronic address: abo@jikei.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abo
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Sciences, Graduate School of Human Health Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 7-2-10 Higashi-Ogu, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo 116-8551, Japan. Electronic address: senoo@tmu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Senoo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016880:Anisotropy; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020521:Stroke / Q000473:pathology*; D066127:White Matter / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Diffusion tensor imaging; Generalized fractional anisotropy; Movement disorder; Neurology; Stroke; White matter