title: Degeneration of an injured spinothalamic tract in a patient with mild traumatic brain injury.
abstract: This study reports on a patient who developed degeneration of an injured spinothalamic tract (STT) detected on diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) following mild traumatic brain injury (TBI).
  
  
  
  A 56-year-old female had suffered from head trauma resulting from a pedestrian car accident. The patient did not experience loss of consciousness or post-traumatic amnesia and the patient's Glasgow Coma Scale score was 15. She had begun to feel pain in her left hand and foot at ~ 7 days after onset. The characteristics and severity of pain were as follows: constant tingling and pricking sensation without allodynia or hyperalgesia (Visual Analogue Scale score: 3~4). No specific focal lesion was observed on brain and spine MRI and an electromyography study showed no evidence of peripheral nerve injury or radiculopathy. At 6 months after onset, the central pain in the left hand and foot became aggravated, with a Visual Analogue Scale score of 6.
  
  
  
  On 1-month DTT, partial tearing was observed in both STTs. In contrast, both partially torn STTs had become atrophy on 9-month DTT.
  
  
  
  This study recommends further studies conducted on the prognosis (regeneration or degeneration) of injured STTs and on the effect of change of an injured STT on central pain.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , College of Medicine, Yeungnam University , Daegu , Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: a Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , College of Medicine, Yeungnam University , Daegu , Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyeok Gyu
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Kwon
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D001924:Brain Concussion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D013133:Spinothalamic Tracts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: DTI; DTT; FMRIB; Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain; STTspinothalamic tract; Spinothalamic tract; TBI; VAS; diffusion tensor imaging; diffusion tensor tractography; head trauma; traumatic axonal injury; traumatic brain injury; visual analogue scale