《Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Theory and Practice》 ›› 2018, Vol. 24 ›› Issue (12): 1432-1437.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-9771.2018.12.015

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Assessment Value of Disrupted Corticospinal Tract Secondary to Stroke Lesion for Motor Impairment: A Diffusion Tensor Tracking Study

GAO Xin-jie1, TANG Chao-zheng2, 3, XU Guo-jun1, YU Qiu-rong1, YANG Hao1, JIA Jie2, SUN Li-min2, YIN Da-zhi4, FAN Ming-xia1   

  1. 1. Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China;
    2. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China;
    3. State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China;
    4. Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
  • Received:2018-03-07 Revised:2018-04-22 Published:2018-12-25 Online:2019-01-04
  • Contact: FAN Ming-xia. E-mail: mxfan@phy.ecnu.eu.cn
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China (General) (No. 81471651), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Youth) (No. 81401859), National Science and Technology Support Program during the Twelfth Five-year Plan Period (No. 2013BAI10B03), Shanhai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning Program (No. 201440634) and Shanghai Zhabei District Health Bureau Program (No. 2014MS06)

Abstract: Objective To investigate the relationship between disrupted corticospinal tract (CST) and motor recovery after stroke by using diffusion tensor tracking (DTT). Methods From March, 2012 to June, 2013, 15 chronic stroke patients with left subcortical lesions and 15 age- and sex- matched healthy subjects were performed diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) examination. The CST was tracked by DTT technique, and the damaged values of the CST caused by the stroke lesions were quantified using a CST template generated from healthy controls. Furthermore, the correlations of the damaged values of the CST with Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) were performed. Results The range of the damaged values of CST in stroke patients was 0.00% to 29.6%. There were very strong negative correlation between the damaged values of the CST and FMA scores (the wrist, r = -0.660; hand, r = -0.813; wrist plus hand, r = -0.795, respectively, P < 0.01). It also showed strong negative correlation between the damaged values of the CST and FMA scores (upper limb, r = -0.614; upper limb plus lower limb, r = -0.563, respectively, P < 0.05). Whereas, there was no correlation between the damaged values of the CST and FMA scores of lower limb (r = -0.270, P = 0.331). In addition, the lesion volumes of stroke and FMA scores were not significantly correlated (P > 0.05). Conclusion The severity of motor deficit after stroke was closely related to the overlap of lesions with CST. The damaged values of the CST based on DTT may be used as a potential biomarker to assess motor impairments of upper limbs, especially hand and wrist in stroke patients.

Key words: stroke, diffusion tensor imaging, corticospinal tract, hand, upper extremity, dysfunction

CLC Number: